Nighthunters
by Starian NightZz
Summary: AU Universe. Whilst on the run from the Royal Guard, the rebel group Seirin was then saved by former Royal Guard member, Kuroko Tamaki, who had also been part of the group of five that was thus dubbed as the 'Generation of Miracles'. It was then when they learnt the horrible truth of the country, and all of them are soon pulled into a web of mystery, lies and deceit. Fem!Kuroko.
1. The Tyrant King

_Summary:_

_AU Universe. Whilst on the run from the Royal Guard, the rebel group Seirin was then saved by former Royal Guard member, Kuroko Tamaki, who had also been part of the group of five that was thus dubbed as the 'Generation of Miracles'. It was then when they learnt the horrible truth of the country, and all of them are soon pulled into a web of mystery, lies and deceit. Fem!Kuroko. Evil!GoM. Nice!Haizaki. BFF!Takao and Ogiwara._

_Full Summary:_

_AU Universe. In a world where power equals right, and where corruption runs strife, and where the Teiko Kingdom was ruled by an iron fist by a corrupt king, it is a struggle just to survive, with the people living in fear of their lives each day. Whilst on the run from the Royal Guard one day, the rebel group Seirin ran into former Royal Guard member Kuroko Tamaki, otherwise known as 'the Ghost' or even 'Mirage'. It was then when they learnt the horrible truth of the country, the king, and even the current commanders of the Royal Guard who were also dubbed as the 'Generation of Miracles', and all of them—Seirin, Kuroko Tamaki, and even the various rebel groups are soon pulled into a web of mystery, lies and deceit._

I probably shouldn't even start another new story so soon, with so many stories still waiting to be updated, but whatever. I honestly have no idea right now on how I should continue this.

If you hadn't already figured out from the summary, this is going to be a pretty dark fic, and the Generation of Miracles won't be portrayed in such a pretty light. For those who are readers of my Naruto AU fic _Blood Red Moon,_ this story is going to be pretty similar to it—in a sense where it is a story of good versus evil, etc. And here's to hoping that I can complete this story in fifteen chapters, as I have no wish to write another 50+ chapter story like what I did with _Blood Red Moon._

**Warnings:** AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Evil Generation of Miracles. Character deaths.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter One: The Tyrant King**

"_There is only one Hell. And it is the one that we live in now." - Kuroko Tamaki_

**XXXXXX**

_Kuroko Tamaki looked at her hands like she could still see the blood on it._

_Honestly, she has no idea what to think of their latest orders. It is getting more ridiculous by the day, and more nerve wrecking. And the more that she thinks about it, the more that she doesn't understand just what the prince—no, the king now, is even thinking._

_The deaths of the former king and queen of the Teiko Kingdom had been less than two years ago. Cause of death: assassination. Everyone in the kingdom had grieved, for they are loved by everyone. And there have been several demands to find their assassins and bring them to justice. _

_Hence, Tamaki who had been the head of the Intelligence Unit of the Royal Guard—the private and best soldiers of the king's army, have all been run ragged that week, but to no avail. Without so much as a lead, there isn't much that they could go on. It is probably the first assignment that the Intelligence Unit had received ever since Tamaki had become their commander that they have failed._

_After the mourning period for the late king and queen was over, their only son, the Crown Prince, had then ascended to the throne as the king. And it is then when the changes to the kingdom started making itself felt and known._

_The prince who is now the king had stopped his interactions with the commanders of the Royal Guard who were also known as the 'Generation of Miracles', as each of them is good enough to deal with an entire army all by themselves. No one is allowed to see the king who now had his own personal bodyguard that no one had met before—not even the commanders of the Royal Guard. In the past, the bodyguards of the royal family had always been someone from the Royal Guard. It is to decrease the chances of assassins._

_And that's not even all._

_Taxes and costs of products and goods in the kingdom have risen drastically, and the king had also blocked all trades and alliances from other kingdoms. All routes in and out of the Royal City were blocked and monitored, with only the wealthiest that have the power being granted passports to allow them access. Giant walls and iron gates were built to barricade the entire Royal City, with each gate and checkpoint being heavily guarded._

_No one will be able to get in or out of the Royal City without the guards knowing._

_For the peasants and the common citizens of the various small towns and villages scattered all over the kingdom, they were forced to fend for themselves by scraping for food, and being barely able to even keep themselves alive. Like with the wealthy, the only place where you can find doctors are in the Royal City. All pleas to the king have fallen on deaf ears, and the peasants were turned away at the gates harshly, not even granted an audience with the king._

_And that is not even the worst of it._

_It had only started barely eight months after the prince had ascended to the throne and had become the king. Anyone who questioned the king's decrees or decisions; whether they be peasant, noble or even a soldier was sentenced to execution with no chance of parole._

_The once beautiful and powerful Teiko Kingdom had now become a nightmarish place where anyone with power and money could get away with anything. And if you happen to be born poor, then you're destined to die of starvation or illness._

"_I don't feel good about this." _

_A voice broke through Tamaki's thoughts as she stood on the deck of the airship, heading back towards the Royal City after a 'mission' sanctioned by the king had sent her and her unit to eliminate an entire civilian village just because they refuse to give the standard one thousand ryou monthly to the king because they could no longer afford it. _

_Honestly, Tamaki's heart almost broke when she and her unit have arrived at the village, and the terrified villagers have begun acting like they've just seen a demon on their doorsteps. _

_Is that how the rest of the kingdom sees the Royal Guard now? The Royal Guard had been a branch of the Royal Army whose sole purpose is to safeguard the royal family and this kingdom. Does the common citizens now see them as the enemy, where the first thing that comes to mind the moment that they see the black and silver flag of the Royal Guard being to run and hide?_

_Ogiwara Shigehiro, Tamaki's childhood friend and also her deputy in the Intelligence Unit approached her with a frown on his face. Next to him, his co-deputy, Haizaki Shogo followed. Like Tamaki and the rest of the Royal Guard, they were both dressed in the black and silver uniforms of the Royal Guard._

"_I don't feel good doing this." Shigehiro told Tamaki, a darkened look on his face. "It doesn't feel right, Tamaki."_

_Hell, Tamaki doesn't like it either when they have received their orders from the king to eliminate that particular village just because they 'are disobeying orders' when all that the village did is to send a missive to the palace, telling the king that they won't be paying the standard one thousand ryou monthly that month because the village could no longer afford it._

"_I know." Tamaki sighed, turning around to face her two childhood friends and deputies. "But it isn't our place to question orders. You know that."_

"_Even still…" Shigehiro had a dark frown on his face that spoke wonders of just how he'd felt about their orders. "Are we, the Royal Guard, the Intelligence Unit, reduced to a bunch of bandits destroying towns and villages, and killing citizens of our kingdom just because they could no longer afford to accede to the king's demands? Are we to continue killing our citizens just because they're questioning the king and his decrees or even his motives?"_

"_Shige-kun! Quiet down!" Tamaki hissed at him, looking around cautiously to make sure that no one had overheard him. She knew better than anyone the fate of one who had questioned the king. She is the head of Intelligence after all. It is her jurisdiction. "Watch your words." She told Shigehiro and Haizaki in a hushed voice. "You know what had happened to Tsugawa just because he had questioned the king on his decision to have forty percent of the stores' profits going to the palace."_

_The two boys fell silent. _

_Tsugawa Tomoki had been one of the merchants in the Royal City. And when a recent decree by the king had all shops in the kingdom surrendering forty percent of their profits to the king, he had protested. And that is the last that anyone had heard from him._

_Tamaki should know. She is the one who had gone to arrest him, before having Aomine Daiki, the head of the Covert Unit of the Royal Guard executing him in some dungeon._

"_Even still, he had a point." Haizaki pointed out. "It hasn't even been two years since the prince had ascended to the throne, and there have already been various changes to the kingdom—not all of them good. Even the Generation of Miracles—the commanders of the Royal Guard hadn't been allowed to see the king. The only one whom His Highness allows to be near him in close proximity is that creepy Mayuzumi. Where is he from anyway? I've never seen him in my life before he had became the king's bodyguard."_

"_He's from Spec Ops – from the regular militia." Tamaki sighed. "Hayama told me. And in the first place, our positions are as the commanders of the Royal Guard, __**not**__ as the king's bodyguards. It is of no concern of ours if he wishes to appoint someone to be his personal bodyguard now that he'd become the king."_

_Privately however, Tamaki knew that both Shigehiro and Haizaki's concerns are valid. The prince never had a personal bodyguard before. Hell, when he was first assigned his own guard detail when he'd begun travelling incognito around the kingdom to see with his own eyes the kingdom that he will be ruling once he becomes king, he had kicked up a fuss. Prince Akashi Seijuro had never liked having a chaperone or even a guard as it makes him feel weak._

_Shigehiro rolled his eyes, almost as if Tamaki's words are almost ludicrous. "Tamaki, you grew up with him." He pointed out. It is common knowledge amongst the Royal Guard that the current commanders of the Royal Guard were the prince's guards and childhood friends ever since they were children, and when the commanders were undergoing their apprenticeship. "If there is anyone who should be standing next to him, it is you! You had been his guard since you were both twelve, and you had begun your apprenticeship, and when the prince had first begun his trips around the kingdom! Being his guard since you were twelve set aside, more importantly, you more than anyone had the right to see him! You are his cousin!"_

_Only a handful knew about the relationship that Tamaki had shared with the royal family, as the late queen had been her father's younger sister._

"_Shige-kun." Tamaki sighed. "Please."_

_Shigehiro grumbled, but said nothing._

_Haizaki sighed. "Seriously though," he rubbed his temples even as the first sights of the Royal City came into view. "What the hell is the king thinking anyway?"_

* * *

_The throne room suddenly seemed extremely large and cold, especially after the screams and cries of that Sakurai guy faded away to almost nothing as the palace guards dragged him away—probably to the dungeons to be executed._

_Tamaki exchanged glances with one of her soldiers who had been hiding within the shadows—Imayoshi Shoichi, who nodded and faded away within the shadows. It had been going on a little over six months now ever since Tamaki could take it no more, and had helped Momoi Satsuki, Ogiwara Shigehiro and a few others to 'defect' from the Royal Guard when they could no longer take it. _

_Some of those that were sentenced to be 'executed' were sometimes lucky enough for Tamaki and her Intelligence Unit to be able to do something to fake their deaths. Then when it is late at night when no one but just soldiers from the Intelligence Unit were awake, they would be able to smuggle them through one of the side gates that the Intelligence Unit uses, telling them to run as far away as possible, and to never come back to the Royal City._

_Most of them couldn't be any happier to obey that order. Several of them have even repeatedly told Tamaki that if she ever needs their help, they'll be there in a flash. She is probably the only commander of the Royal Guard that the common citizens still love and respected. The other commanders—her old friends who have gone through the military academy together with her have now became nothing more than monsters who thrived in people's suffering and pain._

"_He doesn't deserve the death penalty." Tamaki said, glad that her voice came out steady, even as she looked straight into the redhead's eyes._

_This…king in front of her… He is her cousin no more. He isn't the same boy that had grown up with her, and whom had played with her using wooden swords when they were small kids, pretending to be knights, whenever the king and queen brought their son over to visit their only relatives in the small village where Tamaki and her parents lived whenever her parents aren't away on some Royal Guard business. _

_Tamaki kept her usual poker face on when the king glared at her, his bangs concealing his left eye from view. As usual, that creepy Mayuzumi is next to him, staring at her emotionlessly. Tamaki has no idea whether it is due to him formerly from Spec Ops of the regular militia or something, but she never saw Mayuzumi show much emotion. True, Tamaki doesn't either. But at the very least, her friends and comrades could still tell that she's human by the flicker of emotions in her eyes. With Mayuzumi, it is almost like he isn't even human._

"_He was just hungry." Tamaki said, remembering the protests and wails of that Sakurai kid when the palace guards have dragged him before the king after he was caught for stealing in the marketplace. The kid was dressed in rags and looked as if he hadn't eaten for days. Heaven only knows how he even managed to get into the Royal City without any of the guards noticing. "That's why he stole a piece of bread to eat. Something like that doesn't deserve the capital punishment. He doesn't deserve the death penalty for just stealing something to eat! What's gotten into you?"_

"_Are you questioning me?" The king almost growled._

_Tamaki's ears pricked up a little. This had been the first time in two years when she had actually seen the king ever since he had ascended to the throne. Was his voice always this low? It seemed a little different._

"_No. Just questioning your judgment." Tamaki said simply. "The king that I knew, and had vowed to serve and protect until my death when I was twelve isn't like this. You never used to be like this." She met his eyes without fear, and saw a flicker of something passing through that single red eye that she could see that she doesn't like. "If someone had been stealing food just because he is hungry, you would have offered him a job to help him and his family." Her voice grew stronger. "You've changed."_

"_I am absolute, Tamaki." The king almost growled, and with those words, Tamaki's head snapped up, and she studied the king carefully. "I will __**not**__ be questioned. I am never wrong."_

_There was silence between the two for a long time as Tamaki studied every inch of the teenage king's face. The now sixteen-year-old king had lost much of his baby fat, slowly blossoming into a handsome young man. Tamaki's eyes narrowed slightly as she soon found what she's looking for as she eyed the single eye that couldn't really be seen clearly beneath the red bangs._

_The teal haired girl moved her left hand slowly to the blade at her back, shifting one booted foot back carefully, keeping an eye on Mayuzumi out of the corner of her eye as well. "…Who are you?" she questioned, keeping her eyes on the only other two people in the throne room with her._

"_What?"_

_Out of the corner of her eye, Tamaki could see Mayuzumi reaching for his sword by his hip. "…You're not the prince," she said slowly. "At least, you're not the prince whom I knew since early childhood."_

"_What are you talking—"_

"_If you had been the real prince, you wouldn't address me the way you did." Tamaki said, and at the slight flicker of surprise that appeared in the king's eyes, she knew that her suspicions were right. "If you had been the real prince, you wouldn't call me 'Tamaki'. At least not when we're alone."_

"_**Tamaki, this is your cousin. You would know him as the Crown Prince of our kingdom. Be nice to him, okay?"**_

"…_**Can I call you 'Tsuyu'? 'Tamaki' is too long."**_

"…_**Why 'Tsuyu'?"**_

_Tamaki leapt backwards as the king roared, "Guards!"_

_She drew out her blade._

**XXXXXX**

It was raining.

Even as Kuroko Tamaki leaned her face towards the night skies, allowing the rain to pelt down on her face, she mused to herself that it seemed to have been raining almost daily ever since she'd left the Royal City that night.

'_It's been two years since then.'_ Tamaki mused to herself even as she almost blended in together with the darkness of the night, with her back against the wall of some abandoned house half hidden within the shadows.

It also didn't help that she had been wearing a black hooded weather resistant coat over a white tee and black cargo pants with boots, black fingerless gloves on her hands. A variety of blades and a handgun were vaguely visible around her waist.

"There is only one Hell. And it is the one that we live in now." Tamaki muttered to herself as she caught sight of an old man across her, looking as if he's nothing but skin and bones. He is just so thin that his ribs could almost be seen. He looks as if he's a skeleton masquerading as a human being.

She then stiffened as she caught the sounds of faint running and shouting, with shoes sloshing in the rainwater. There was also the sound of a whistle that had been carried through the wind.

"A hunt, huh?" Tamaki sighed. "So they got their sights set on this town too. How many? How many more must they kill before they're satisfied?"

* * *

Hyuuga huffed and panted as he lugged his bigger and heavier friend with him, turning his head every now and then to check on their pursuers. In front of him were the rest of his friends—the rebel group Seirin who have all swore to topple the Red King off his throne, and to bring peace back to the Teiko Kingdom.

"Come on, Kiyoshi. Don't die on me here." Hyuuga said almost angrily, adjusting his grip on his almost unconscious friend.

"No good." Kagami Taiga approached the rest of the group with a harried Aida Riko, their leader. "Up front's a dead end. They have checkpoints everywhere!" He sounded furious.

"Stop!"

"There's nowhere to run!"

"Damn it!" Izuki cursed, seeing the faint outlines of the soldiers closing in on them. "As expected of the Covert Unit of the Royal Guard!"

"Are we going to die here?" Furihata Kouki asked, terrified, pressing his left hand against a serious gash on his right arm.

"In here!" A voice called out to them from the darkness of an alley not far from them, startling all of Seirin.

"What?" Koganei was surprised. "Huh?"

"Hurry!"

Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, Seirin decided to take a chance and entered the dark alley where a tarp was suddenly thrown over them. As one, they somehow made the decision silently to squat down and keep silent, and hopefully, the soldiers will think that they're a crate or something.

Izuki who was near the edge of the tarp saw the outlines of someone's feet, with black boots sloshing in the rainwater as whoever it is arranged the tarp around them before the feet disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. There was silence for several moments before the loud shouts from the soldiers reaches their ears.

Riko covered a petrified Furihata's mouth as Hyuuga covered Kiyoshi's mouth should he let out a pained moan or something. With how seriously injured that he is, and with how much blood that he had lost, Hyuuga wouldn't put it past him.

"They're not here!"

"Damn, where could they be? They couldn't have gotten far!"

"Check the north! Close off all routes!"

The footsteps then faded away to almost nothing. Silence fell for several moments. And just when Izuki was wondering if it is safe enough to get out, the tarp covering them was dragged off. As one, all of Seirin stared up at their saviour only to realise that it seemed to be a teenage girl around their age. It is almost impossible to tell what she looks like because of the darkness and the black coat that she is wearing.

"They're gone." She told them, even as Seirin got to their feet shakily, relieved that they've just narrowly escaped execution via the Royal Guard.

"Who are you?" Hyuuga asked almost suspiciously.

"I'll explain later." The girl told them, with her eyes falling onto Kiyoshi, and she narrowed her eyes. "Follow me." She told them, much to their surprise. "Your friend needs medical attention now, or he'll die."

"Do you know a doctor?" Riko asked quickly. She couldn't care less if this girl is ally or enemy now. Kiyoshi's survival is more important, especially after having fought with the Panther, the commander of the Covert Unit of the Royal Guard, Aomine Daiki.

"Yes. I'm taking you someplace safe." The girl sounded a tad bit irritated, constantly looking over her shoulder. "Follow me. There is no way that you lot are getting out of this town tonight. They've barricaded the entire town."

"We don't have a choice, I guess." Kagami admitted.

"Follow me." The girl said again before she walked deeper into the alley, almost melting together into the darkness. It wasn't long before she stopped and squatted down to the ground, removing something from her pocket that Seirin later realises is a flashlight when a beam of bright light shone onto the ground where a manhole cover is visible.

Kagami was wondering what is so interesting about a manhole cover when the girl rapped twice on it. There were a few moments of silence before the manhole cover was moved, and a dark head popped out of it, revealing a grim face with silvery-blue eyes.

"They're with me." The girl told the head curtly as he glanced suspiciously at Seirin. "I'm taking them down into base. Their friend needs immediate medical attention." Both pairs of eyes glanced at Kiyoshi. "Tell Sakurai-kun to prep for surgery just in case. Also, spread the word; tell the others to retreat. The Panther's on the move. The unit here is his." There was a frown on the girl's face as the guy cursed to himself. "They're performing a Hunt. It's Hunting Night today."

* * *

_A/N: And finished with the first part! It is probably a tad bit confusing, but everything will be explained in future chapters. As far as pairing goes, I'm not sure if I'm going to have any in this story, as it is a pretty dark fic. Anyway, I hope that you like this story and chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	2. Through the Trapdoor

**Warnings:** AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Evil Generation of Miracles. Character deaths.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Two: Through the Trapdoor**

"_That's why we are here: to seek a better tomorrow." - Kuroko Tamaki_

**XXXXXX**

_Kuroko Tamaki was twelve when she had swore to protect the Prince—her cousin, to her dying breath._

_Both her parents have been soldiers serving in the Royal Guard—the personal bodyguards of the King and Queen of Teiko, and they have given their lives to keep them safe during the war. Thus, both were granted First Class Honours after the war had ended. Regardless, that didn't make Tamaki feel any better when she'd received word of their deaths. Nor does it make Shige-kun or Shogo-kun feel any better when messengers arrived on their front doorstep, telling them that __**their**__ parents have perished in the war too._

_The Prince himself had sponsored all three of them into the military academy. And when Tamaki had turned twelve, and had thus started her apprenticeship under the Captain of the Royal Guard, she was placed on the Prince's personal guard detail._

_Often, the Prince would sneak away to a flower field not too far away from the Royal City without any of his guards. But when Tamaki was assigned to his guard detail, the red haired prince found to his annoyance that he could never escape Tamaki's watchful eye. Pretty soon, however, he grew used to it, and both of them treasured the time that they had together when they don't have to worry about appearances, and not have to remember that they're a Prince and a soldier._

"_I wonder… What makes a good King?" Seijuro wondered, lying flat on his back in the flower field, holding his hand up above his face, partially covering his view of the skies and the clouds. "What makes a good Kingdom?"_

_Tamaki who was lying next to him, reading one of her books, placed her book down, wondering how to answer that question. "Well… For starters, I don't like going hungry or even being cold." She shrugged. "I don't really know what makes a good Kingdom or even a good King. But I do know that as long as you follow your heart and your desired path, you can go no wrong. You are a good Prince. You only want the best for your people. You despise war and conflicts, and wish for peace instead. If you had a choice, I think that you wouldn't want to fight. I might be wrong, but I think this makes you a good Prince, and an even better King."_

_Seijuro smiled at his cousin, sitting up. "…I promise you, Tsuyu. I will be a good King." He promised, staring at his clenched fist. "I will protect this kingdom with my last breath, and even my people. And I want you to watch me do it."_

_Tamaki said nothing for several moments before she sat upright and drew out the blade resting against her waist. _

_The pure black blade that had been passed down through her family for generations, and that her father had carried into war with him, using that same blade to defend the royal family. And when she had left for the Royal City to attend the military academy with her two childhood friends, she had taken that blade with her._

"_Tsuyu?" Seijuro was surprised even as he watch Tamaki struck the tip of her blade into the ground in between them, one hand resting on the hilt._

"…_I hadn't finished my apprenticeship, so I really shouldn't be doing this yet, but…" Tamaki closed her eyes briefly before getting down on one knee, her head bowed._

_At this point, Seijuro knew what his cousin had in mind now. How many times had he seen it performed? In the Teiko Kingdom, whenever someone enters the Royal Guard, they make a vow before the royal family, or whichever member of the royal family that they're assigned to protect explicitly. To the soldiers serving in the Royal Army or even the Royal Guard, that vow is sacred, and they'll choose to die before choosing to break their vow._

_Tamaki closed the fingers of her left hand around the hilt of her sword. "With this sword, I hereby swear to you. On my blood, my soul, my life and my blade. This life will be yours from this day forth until the day that I draw my last breath. I pledge my allegiance and loyalty to you…" Tamaki looked up, meeting Seijuro's eyes. "…My Prince."_

**XXXXXX**

It had taken some serious acrobatic skills to get the unconscious Kiyoshi through the manhole and down to the sewers below without anyone dropping him. All in all, Aida Riko was very relieved when the last person went through the manhole, and the girl who had saved them earlier had closed the cover so that no one could follow them in.

The teen that had poked his head out through the manhole cover earlier had said that he'll 'go on ahead' and alert 'the others' about 'some guests arriving' or something along those lines, much to Seirin's confusion. But Riko and Hyuuga knew better than to question them, as it doesn't seem that these two are bad guys, and Riko had a feeling that they might probably be part of one of those rebel groups that are still around.

In the beginning when the king had first started turning Teiko upside down, there have been many people who weren't happy, and rebel groups were forming almost every single day. That is until the Royal Army and the Royal Guard started cracking down on them. Every single rebel group that was found and caught were executed on the spot. Now, nearly four years later, no one dared to defy the king anymore. The few rebel groups that were left have all gone into hiding.

Riko looked around her surroundings. She was surprised when they were led down into the sewers, but now that she took a good look, she saw that it is a lot cleaner than she expected, and it is properly lit. There were even wooden planks covering the areas on the ground where the sewage water runs through.

In fact, if she didn't know any better, Riko will say that the sewers looked almost live-in.

"All right." The girl from earlier leapt down to the ground lightly on her feet from the ladder on the wall that leads to the surface, turning towards Seirin. "Come with me."

Without even waiting for them to answer, she started leading the way through the tunnels, and Seirin started following her quietly, with Hyuuga and Izuki taking up the rear, supporting Kiyoshi in between them. Riko on the other hand was at the front, following the strange girl, with the rest of Seirin in between them.

The leader of Seirin then noticed the blade resting against the back of the girl, and she raised a brow. The blade was almost unusual, for it is an entirely black blade that isn't long enough to be a sword or even a katana of some sort, and neither is it short enough to be a dagger. Even the hilt is completely black, with silver moon engravings visible on it.

Just as Riko is pondering and puzzling over the strange black blade, she was then startled to realise that they've arrived at their destination.

"We've arrived."

It is a relatively large open area, resembling an underground secret base of some sort, or maybe even a small underground town or something, as there are strange looking buildings erected everywhere, and in the center of this large area are several long tables and chairs that seemed to be meant as an eating area.

Two unknown teens came hurrying up to them just then, placing Kiyoshi gently on a white stretcher that they have with them before hurrying to a nearby 'house' that has a red curtain covering the entrance, with the strange girl from earlier following them.

Seirin were all relatively stunned for several moments before their senses came back to them, and they hurried to that 'house'.

It resembles a hospital or something, with several beds, and there were even privacy curtains around. Kiyoshi was already loaded onto one of the beds where a meek-looking teen with brown hair that doesn't seem any older than them seemed to be treating Kiyoshi, and much to Riko's surprise, he seemed to know what he's doing. That black haired teen from earlier had both his hands pressed against Kiyoshi's stomach wound as the brunette was staunching the bleeding gash on Kiyoshi's chest.

"What serious injuries…" The 'doctor' muttered to himself. "Tamaki-san, who did he fight?" He asked, addressing the girl who had brought them in here.

Riko answered for the girl. "The Panther. We got a run-in with him."

The black haired teen cursed to himself. "Damn."

'Tamaki' approached them just then. "Let's wait outside. Let them do their jobs." Seeing Seirin about to protest, she shook her head, herding them all outside. "Don't worry, your friend is going to make it. Sakurai-kun knows what he's doing. He's handled worse injuries."

"Who are you? What is this place?" Kagami asked curiously.

"Tamaki!" A voice called out, and two boys hurried up to them. The shorter one had black hair and blue eyes whilst the taller one had gray hair and eyes. Both eyed Seirin with suspicion before turning back towards 'Tamaki'.

"Is everyone back?" Tamaki asked them both urgently, and the two teens nodded before telling Tamaki something in a low voice, and she frowned. "That isn't good news. Send word to Imayoshi. Tell him to be on his guard."

Kagami was about to say something when he felt something sniffing around his ankles and looked down only to see a small black and white figure sniffing around his ankles, looking up at him with bright blue eyes with his tongue hanging out happily.

_A dog._

Kagami gave out a loud scream that is enough to deafen everyone within hearing distance before throwing himself backwards so quickly that he basically tripped over his own feet, thus falling backwards in a rather comical fashion.

"Ouch." The shorter boy rubbed his ears. "You sure have a loud voice." He complained. "And what are you screaming for? Aoi won't hurt you." He glanced at the small black and white husky who is now nestled in Tamaki's arms.

"Sorry about him. Kagami isn't too good with dogs." Riko apologised.

"I can see that." Tamaki muttered. "Well, I'll make the introductions. Haizaki Shogo. Ogiwara Shigehiro." The two teens nodded to Seirin. "I'm Kuroko Tamaki." She introduced, much to their shock.

"K-Kuroko Tamaki?" Izuki almost spluttered.

"Formerly of the Royal Guard?" Hyuuga gasped.

"Well, I'll explain more later once your friend wakes up." Tamaki muttered. She then held out Aoi in her arms, and Kagami cringed. "And meet Aoi. He's our messenger of sorts. Whenever we are in a location where our communication devices don't work well, we use him. After all, who will suspect a dog of being a messenger?"

Almost as if agreeing with Tamaki, Aoi barked.

"Tamaki?" Takao Kazunari poked his head out of the infirmary. "He's all right now. Sakurai said that he should wake up at any moment now."

"All right." Tamaki turned towards Seirin. "Do you want to see him now?"

The sudden rush of feet towards the infirmary was her answer. Chuckling to themselves, Tamaki, Shigehiro and Haizaki made their way towards the infirmary as well. Takao was packing up the tools that Sakurai had been using whilst the brunette in question is tying the last of the bandages around Kiyoshi's torso.

"He's all right now." Sakurai told them. "But he mustn't move about much for the next few weeks."

Riko sighed in relief. "Thank you very much."

There was a light groan from the only occupant in the bed, and as one, everyone present turned towards the brunette currently lying there. Dark brown eyes opened blearily, and for several moments, he seemed to be almost confused at where he is.

"Kiyoshi!"

"Teppei!"

"Everyone…" Kiyoshi croaked, even as Sakurai assisted him to sit up, propping a pillow at his back. "Where is—" His voice was caught in his throat even as Tamaki made her appearance, and his eyes widened.

"Long time no see, Kiyoshi." Tamaki greeted, almost as if saving long time friends from death is something that she did everyday. "A while like three years. And I see that you're as lucky as ever." She ignored Seirin's confused and curious looks.

Behind Tamaki, Shigehiro and Haizaki snickered. 'Lucky' doesn't even begin to cut it. Hell, the guy could probably take a bullet to the chest and somehow still manage to survive. They don't call him Iron Heart for nothing.

"Kuroko Tamaki…" Kiyoshi almost whispered, his eyes wide as he stared at Tamaki as if he'd just seen a ghost. "So you're still alive… And Ogiwara and Haizaki too." The two teens behind Tamaki nodded to him politely.

"Do you know each other?" Riko asked curiously, looking from one to the other.

Tamaki and Kiyoshi exchanged glances. "Something like that, yeah." Tamaki said at last. "We used to serve in the Royal Guard together. Kiyoshi was in Spec Ops though, before I helped him to defect about three years ago. We were also classmates in the military academy, though Kiyoshi was in a year above me."

"Wait? The _Royal Guard?"_ Kagami spluttered. "The enemy?"

Silence.

Everyone in the room was now staring at Kagami as if he'd just lost his marbles. Or rather, Tamaki, Shigehiro, Haizaki, Takao and Sakurai were staring at Kagami as if he'd suddenly grown two new heads.

Tsuchida coughed. "Um… Don't you recognise her name?" he said at last.

Kagami looked even more confused. "Should I?" he asked, and everyone sweat dropped.

Haizaki palmed his face. "I never thought that I'd ever meet someone as oblivious as Nebuya. Looks like I'd found another," he muttered, and Shigehiro grinned.

"Kagami, at least learn the names of the Royal Guard's five commanders." Hyuuga sighed.

"Huh?"

"Anyway, I see now why the Royal Guard had never been able to find any trace or even any clue about the whereabouts of the remaining rebel forces for two years now." Kiyoshi said, turning back towards Tamaki. "So you are the reason." He smiled. "They really don't call you the Ghost for nothing." He joked. The brunette then turned back towards his friends. "Like I've said earlier, Tamaki is like me—a former member of the Royal Guard. She actually used to be one of the commanders. She used to be one of them—the Generation of Miracles. 'Mirage' Kuroko Tamaki. Also known as the Ghost. Former head of Intelligence of the Royal Guard."

Kagami was now looking at Tamaki in a different light. He had been with Seirin long enough to know just how fearsome that the five commanders of the Royal Guard are—also known as the Generation of Miracles. He had heard the rumours that only one out of the five is the only decent member amongst them, and that she alone had the support of the people.

But she'd gone missing two years ago, declared dead by the palace, and since then, morale amongst the kingdom had dropped severely as a result, and people are slowly losing hope. That is when Seirin had been formed, and Kagami had joined them after beating up two soldiers of the Royal Army, thus saving Furihata and Fukuda from getting thrown into jail.

"The only decent member of the Generation of Miracles…" Kawahara whispered, stars almost shining in his eyes. It is probably the dream of every single rebel in the kingdom to meet the one commander (or former commander) of the Royal Guard that is decent, and doesn't thrive in people's suffering and pain.

"I'd never died two years ago. They only said that because I defected, taking with me nearly my entire unit." Tamaki sighed, not really liking to recall how that had came into being. "Furthermore, the one on the throne wouldn't want to admit that one of his commanders had defected. It would give just cause for a nation wide rebellion. And it actually works easier for me too, as I can get around easier if people thinks that I'm dead." She glanced from face to face. "I've been building up the rebel forces here, as well as trying to improve the lives of the common citizens as much as we could."

"Rebel forces?" Koganei echoed.

Tamaki exchanged looks with her friends. "All right." She cleared her throat, sitting down on one of the spare beds, getting ready for a pretty long story. "Where should we begin?"

**XXXXXX**

The teen that Seirin had seen popping his head out of the manhole cover earlier that had introduced himself as Takao Kazunari had been assigned to show them around their 'base', as he made simple explanations about the various 'buildings' and all that.

The place where they're standing in now isn't the only base for the few remaining rebel groups. There are others—all underground in the sewers, thus functioning as a mini-city of sorts. It is just that the place where they're standing in now is the main base for the more combat orientated rebels. There are several different bases all stretched out, though you have to know your way around underground, or you'll get yourself lost.

Takao had even introduced Seirin to quite a few of the others that are currently around. Not all the rebels are fighters, much to Kagami's surprise. Some are merchants, cooks, doctors and even crafters. There are even a few who are weapon dealers that explain where they got all their weapons from.

"_Shige-kun left the Royal Guard about a year before I did." Tamaki explained the basic workings of their base. "That was around the time when the Royal Guard was coming down hard on the rebel groups. We knew that it is only a matter of time before all of them were rounded up and caught, and the situation in the kingdom will then get only worse. Under my orders, Shige-kun left the Royal Guard and started to round up the remaining rebels."_

"_It also helps that once they heard Tamaki's name, they're very willing to listen to me." Shigehiro added._

"_I know how the Royal Guard works. Thus, I know how to work around their blind spots. I told Shige-kun that if any place above ground could always be found, then build our headquarters underground – in the sewers."_

Honestly, Seirin could understand now why not a single trace of the remaining rebels could be found now. Who would think of looking for their base in the sewers?

"_Your comrades—the other members of the Spec Ops left not long after you did." Tamaki told Kiyoshi who looked concerned. "I have no idea where they are now, only that they're definitely still alive. They out of everyone will know how to avoid the Royal Guard and the Royal Army. They're like us—they know how the Royal Guard works. After all, we used to work for them."_

"I didn't think that there are still so many left." Riko said at last after Seirin had been shown to their allocated sleeping area. Honestly, after everything that they've seen, they are seriously starting to consider allying with them.

"You can say that again." Hyuuga agreed. "They know how to hide. And they know how to plan. We've been going along mainly on luck for the past two years. It is only by sheer chance that none of us had gotten ourselves caught. And earlier, if it hadn't been for Kuroko, we would have gotten ourselves killed." He admitted.

"_The main rebel group here had been Phantom—Tamaki's group. One that we had been building even before she had left the Royal Guard." Shigehiro told them seriously. "Later on, more joined us. Groups like Touou, Shutoku, along with a few others. And there are some that went unnamed. Even individuals."_

"_Mainly, what we'd been doing now is to prevent more deaths and building up our forces." Haizaki added. "Also, some of the others have been smuggling food and stuff out to the villages that couldn't get them."_

"_Most of us never venture above ground after all." Tamaki rubbed her temples. "Those of us who did usually did so to get food and medical supplies, and even intel on the situation. It is basically like a mini city underground, stretching for miles and miles. The different bases that we have here are usually directly underneath one of the towns or villages. There are several different bases here—it is possible to get to where they are, though you'll get lost if you don't know where you're going. Even so, we have communication devices at each base to communicate with each other. We've been doing this for three years—ever since I'd helped the first people to defect."_

"Things have gotten a lot more complicated…" Izuki murmured, still deep in thought over what they'd just heard just mere hours ago.

"_The kingdom has changed. I don't even recognise it anymore." Riko admitted. "You're right on that point. But why didn't you try to persuade the king when he first…" She trailed off slowly._

_Tamaki laughed almost bitterly. "What makes you think I hadn't already tried?" she said tiredly. "He doesn't listen to me. When he first took the throne, none of us were allowed to see him until nearly two years had passed, and by then, it was too late. And it wasn't just the kingdom that had changed. The soul and heart of the Royal Guard and the Royal Army—everything that we had ever stood for had changed drastically. The soldiers and even the people are expendable to the one on the throne."_

"_What do you mean?" Hyuuga asked with a frown._

_Tamaki sighed. "First were those soldiers from the Royal Army," she said. "They were expendable. Then when the Self Defense Forces were sent to curb the rebellion when it first started four years ago. They succeeded, but at the cost of more than half their forces. They were expendable too." As one, Seirin's faces paled. "Then my unit nearly three years ago. I lost nearly half my men. That's when I started to give up hope, and started helping out those that were sentenced to be executed or even those who wanted to leave the Royal City secretly. Nearly half the people you see here are former soldiers. Former members of the Royal Guard, or even former soldiers of the Royal Army."_

"_Teiko has changed." Shigehiro said wearily, and next to him, Haizaki nodded. "Everyone has long lost their will to fight and live—to fight to live to see a better tomorrow. The few that do are all those that you see down here now. We are all that are left. Even if we succeed in this war and won, Teiko will never be the same again. Not our Teiko."_

**XXXXXX**

It was a little past two in the morning when Aida Riko woke up, feeling dryness in her throat. All around her, the boys of Seirin were snoring like no tomorrow in the small 'house' that was given to them to spend the night.

Smiling, as Riko simply couldn't remember when is the last time when all of them could sleep this peacefully without worrying that some soldier will come across them, she got up from her futon quietly, sneaking out of the small house for a drink of water.

Takao had shown them where to get fresh and clean water earlier during their 'tour.' In the first place, the kingdom's supply of water mainly came from the canals, the sewers and even the ocean. One of their blacksmiths had merely made it so that they could have fresh water, no matter what. The mechanics simply flew over their heads, and Riko would rather not try to understand it.

The brunette grabbed one of the glasses sitting on the small table next to where they get their water, and turned on the tap, filling the glass with fresh water before she quenched her thirst. Riko almost jumped out of her skin when she turned around only to see Kuroko Tamaki seated at one of the long tables, apparently poring over a map of some sort.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Riko asked, approaching the younger girl. She doesn't seem to have just woken up either. If anything, she seemed to have been up for _hours._

"Guard duty." Tamaki answered simply. "Someone needs to be awake at all times down here. We're constantly in danger." She added. Now _that,_ Riko could understand. "Also, I'm planning out a route for you and your group to take if you want to leave once the fuss had died down." She added, turning her attention back to the map in front of her.

Riko took a look too, but she simply couldn't understand it at all, what with all the lines and crosses marked on the map.

For several moments, both females were silent, with the only sounds that could be heard being the scribbling of Tamaki's pen as she wrote something in a notebook that she had with her. Finally, Riko broke the silence.

"…What's the…king like?" She asked at last. "You know… Before…everything." She shrugged helplessly.

Tamaki said nothing for several moments before she sat down beside Riko. "He's a good man," she said at last. "Kind too. Gentle. He only wanted what's best for his people. He set up several public works and such during his tenure as Crown Prince. A hospital could be found in every town, no matter how small, because of him. He's a good man. Back then, all of us were honoured to follow him."

Riko was silent. If she hadn't known just a little of how the prince had been like when she was younger, she will think that Tamaki is talking about someone else. "What happened?" she asked at last. "What changed him?"

Tamaki shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "He's…not the man we used to know, and had vowed to protect." She looked at Riko. "I can understand why you set up Seirin. It is as much the same reason why Phantom and all the other rebel groups existed today." She closed her eyes briefly. "This is my kingdom—my homeland." She murmured, almost as if speaking to herself. "I grew up here. No matter who the king might be, I made a vow when I became a soldier to wield my blade to protect Teiko to the best of my ability. Even if everyone sees me as a traitor, I will fulfil my duty to this kingdom."

Riko was silent for a long time, remembering similar words once echoed by someone else in her past. "…My father used to say the same thing," she said at last, hugging her knees to her chest. "The king killed my father." She added. "Dad said that something is wrong with the prince barely a year after he became king. He said that he isn't acting like the man he used to know. The next day, soldiers came, and I never saw my father again." She admitted. "Hyuuga-kun and the others too. That's when we set up Seirin—to protect those who can't protect themselves."

Tamaki sighed. "Everyone here has lost family or friends to the person on the throne now," she said wearily. "That's why we are here: to seek a better tomorrow."

* * *

It was four in the morning when Ogiwara Shigehiro slowly made his way towards the ladder of the manhole cover where he saw Kuroko Tamaki sitting atop one of the crates placed there for the one on guard duty.

"I swapped with Takao-kun." Tamaki answered the unasked question even as Shigehiro sat down beside her. "What are you doing here so early? Your shift isn't in another two hours."

"I can't sleep." Shigehiro admitted.

The two friends fell silent for a long time.

"…Why did things turn out like this, Shige-kun?" Tamaki said at last.

"I don't know." Shigehiro admitted. "If you'd told me ten years ago that things would turn out this way, and that the person on the throne now will bring the kingdom down this path, I will say you're smoking pot."

Tamaki chuckled bitterly. "The person sitting on the throne now, and even those four…" She trailed off slowly, feeling anger building inside her the way that it always did whenever she thought about her former friends. "I don't know who they are."

"Tamaki…"

"We might have grown up together, and had even gone through the military academy together, but as far as I'm concerned, they aren't the people whom they used to be." Tamaki shook her head. "They are not _them_ any longer. I don't know who they are anymore. They are the enemy. That is enough for me to know."

Shigehiro sighed, feeling very tired, and also feeling extremely drained, both emotionally and physically. "I wonder, why do people fight?" he questioned, not really expecting an answer either way. "Why do people keep hurting each other? And I wonder… Since when was it when war start to mean 'kill everything in sight'?"

"Even since a monster like the Red King was born." Tamaki replied. She then sighed, leaning her head back against the wall behind her until she could see nothing but the pitch darkness of the walls above her. "Why do we even live?" She asked into the night.

There was no answer, and she didn't expect one either.

* * *

_A/N: If someone can suggest a better story title for this, it'll be very much appreciated. You probably had more questions than answers after this chapter, but like I've said, everything will be answered in due time. As for those asking for a Midorima/Takao pairing, this probably isn't the first time that I've said this, but I do not write yaoi! This story is pretty dark by nature, and I honestly have no idea if I'm even going to have pairings in this. If there are, you probably have to squint to see it!_

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	3. Light and Shadow

**Warnings:** AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Evil Generation of Miracles. Character deaths.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Three: Light and Shadow**

"_Before the Generation of Miracles—the commanders of the Royal Guard became the tyrants they are now, they are people once upon a time." - Otsubo Taisuke_

**XXXXXX**

A month after Seirin had met Kuroko Tamaki and the rest of the rebels have seen several changes.

True to their word, Riko and Hyuuga did make the decision to ally themselves with the remainder of the rebel forces. It is a unanimous decision by the rest of Seirin, as even they knew that they couldn't continue doing what they've been doing for the past two years. And if truth be told, it is already considered a miracle in itself that they have never gotten themselves caught or killed by the Royal Army or even the Royal Guard yet. The time when they have gotten a run-in with Aomine Daiki of the Royal Guard and his Covert Ops was the closest when they have ever came face to face with Death.

If Tamaki and several of the rebels haven't been spread throughout the town that Seirin had seek refuge in at that time, acting on information that the Royal Guard is marching on that town, then Seirin might already be drinking tea with the Shinigami in the Great Beyond.

Currently, the rebel forces have been focusing their energies on getting stronger, and also getting more ammunition and weapons from the black market weapon dealers. They were also focusing on getting food and medical supplies to the poorer villages and towns that couldn't gain any access to it.

The members of Seirin like Riko, Izuki, Koganei, Tsuchida, Furihata, Fukuda and Kawahara were mainly the ones going with several of the others to the remote villages and towns by using the underground sewer passageways to 'deliver' those supplies after some of the other rebels have stolen food and medical supplies from the nobles in the larger cities, thus delivering those same supplies to the poorer people aka Robin Hood style.

With each time that they went on a 'stealing excursion', the rebel forces usually kept a few of the things that they've stolen for themselves. Like what Hyuuga had later told Seirin; since they are also citizens of the Teiko Kingdom, they are entirely entitled to the things that the selfish nobles have been getting, thanks to the heavy levies and taxes that the king have imposed on the rest of the kingdom.

The silent Mitobe, while no good at combat and neither is he much good at spying, had ended up being a great help in the kitchen, much to Sakurai, Tamaki and Shigehiro's relief.

Because the lot of them are always running around, and there is always bound to be someone injured _every single day,_ Sakurai is always needed at the infirmary, and thus, he couldn't really take on the kitchen duties atop his own duties as the combat base's doctor which had been affectionately nicknamed the 'Phantom base' as nearly all of the main rebel group members were stationed there along with several others.

Like what Takao had told Seirin on their first day, there were several other bases littered all throughout the sewers, with each of them having their own respective duties. It is just that the Phantom base is the more combat orientated base. There are bases that focus more on intelligence gathering, even the purchasing of weapons and such. Those several different bases communicate with each other by mainly using the large communication devices that could be found at each base, though sometimes, one of the members from the different bases would make the long trip through the sewers to their base.

Like what Takao had told them before; you have to know the underground passageways of the sewers well, or you'll get hopelessly lost. Tamaki had taken Hyuuga and Riko with her to some of the other bases with her the third week after they've allied with them officially. The three of them were gone the entire day, only returning late at night.

And when the rest of Seirin had bombarded their two leaders on what the other bases are like and all that, Riko had told them that appearance-wise, the other bases isn't very different from the one that they are staying in. They are still wondering how the hell they managed to build bases like this beneath everyone's noses in just a mere year or so. The other members of the rebel forces that Riko and Hyuuga were introduced to were wary of them in the beginning, but they soon warmed up to the two.

One of the rebels that goes by the name of Iwamura or something who had been the one liaising with several of the black market weapon vendors had told them curtly that Tamaki, Shigehiro and Haizaki are all excellent judges of character. As former Royal Guard members, they were specially trained to detect lies and all that, even being able to tell if someone means them harm or not. That is why before the rebel forces accept any new members into their forces, they have to first go through Tamaki, Shigehiro and Haizaki.

Shigehiro had also offered to teach Seirin how to handle guns, since the only weapons that Seirin knew how to handle at present are swords and daggers, and in Riko's case, whips. Izuki and Koganei seemed to have a knack for them for some reason.

Thus, by the time a month had flown by, Seirin had quickly settled in together with the rest of the other rebels at the Phantom base. Takao is usually the one running things there if Tamaki, Shigehiro and Haizaki aren't around. And during their first week, he had been quick to fill Seirin in on the fact that all of them take turns at doing guard duty, as someone needs to be awake at all times to make sure that the enemy hadn't found them.

Not that they think anyone would betray them or even stumble across their location by 'accident'. Even still, Tamaki didn't get to be a member of the Generation of Miracles by being careless, and she was particularly insistent on this rule. As none of the others want to meet an early death, they were quick to agree to it.

Something that Seirin found out rather quickly is that not everyone actually goes to the surface. The only ones that does are those that specialises in intel gathering—those are mainly the Touou group, which Seirin later found consists of Imayoshi Shoichi, Wakamatsu Kousuke and Susa Yoshinari. All three of them used to serve under Tamaki in the Intelligence Unit when they were still in the Royal Guard, and they have followed her when she'd defected. Even the ones that usually go about stealing Robin Hood style don't always go to the surface. They usually go once or twice each month. Anymore than that, and they will get themselves caught easily.

Hence why Kagami Taiga who is usually extremely active can't seem to sit still that day, thus annoying the hell out of everyone.

Shigehiro who finally had his patience reaching his limit, looked at Kagami with exasperation over the map that he is currently leaning over with Haizaki. Said map easily covered at least one-third of one of the eating tables in their base.

"Kagami, if you really want something to do, go and help Tamaki with guard duty." Shigehiro said, annoyed, resisting the urge to stab Kagami with the pen that he is holding.

The base is unusually quiet that day, as the Touou group had been sent out to the surface to collect intel, as the Royal Guard have been really quiet recently. Too quiet until even Tamaki is uneasy.

Whenever _those_ guys are quiet, it never bodes good news.

"G-Guard duty?" Kagami spluttered. The redhead dislikes guard duty out of almost everything else, as it is damn boring just sitting there for hours doing nothing. Usually, there are two people stationed for guard duty in case one of them dozed off by mistake.

"Someone must always be awake at all times down here; we're in more danger than you think." Haizaki said, annoyed. How many times must they repeat it? "And well…" He glanced over at the entrance to the manhole cover where Tamaki is currently sitting on one of the crates by the ladder that leads to the surface. "Tamaki has been taking the guard duty for four nights in a row now. We're all getting worried. She might talk to you about what's going on."

"I barely know her!" Kagami protested. "What makes you think—"

"Precisely the reason why she might talk to you." Takao Kazunari interrupted just then, approaching the lot of them with several notebooks in his arms, with Miyaji Kiyoshi and Otsubo Taisuke close behind him, also with notebooks in their arms. "The transcripts from the various communications." He added to Shigehiro and Haizaki who both nodded, as the Shutoku group settled down in the seats and started going through the notebooks.

"What do you mean?" Izuki frowned.

Shigehiro, Haizaki, Takao, Otsubo and Miyaji exchanged looks between themselves for several moments before Miyaji broke the silence, glancing at Kagami. "…You remind me of them a little," he said at last. "The commanders, I mean. The Generation of Miracles." He added. "Before they went corrupt. Especially Aomine."

Seirin have learned from Takao that the sniper himself, Otsubo, Miyaji and even Kimura used to serve in the Royal Guard too; similar to Imayoshi and his group. But unlike the Touou guys, they don't serve under Tamaki. They served under a different commander, formerly being in the Protection Unit until they'd defected a few months before Tamaki did. All four of them were especially skilled with guns and rifles, and they were the ones grilling Seirin on the ABCD of sniping and shooting whenever Shigehiro and Haizaki aren't available.

"The Panther?" Hyuuga frowned, exchanging looks with Kiyoshi who looked rather solemn. His injuries have been mostly healed by now, but Sakurai had still stuck him to light duty like guard duty and such.

"Yeah." Shigehiro nodded. "I've thought of that the first time when I met you." He told Kagami. "You remind me of him when we were still in the military academy." Shigehiro told Kagami, much to the redhead's annoyance, as he didn't like the idea of being compared with one of the most corrupted commanders in Teiko's history. "He's this idiot who went about fighting everyone he meets, and doesn't even care how hurt he gets. I've lost count of the number of times when Tamaki had to literally drag him to the infirmary before he dies of blood loss." Shigehiro rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I really can't stand him." He admitted, twirling his pen in between his fingers. "Back then and now."

"I never knew the Panther was like that." Furihata was surprised.

He still remembered how terrifying Aomine Daiki had been that night when they have the misfortune to run into the dark blue haired man and his unit. Even before that, there have been rumours about that particular commander, and that he is probably one of the most terrifying and ruthless commanders amongst the remaining four. People everywhere fear to even meet him on the streets. Even the corrupt nobles who basically bought their way into the Red King's pockets are scared of him.

Aomine Daiki had been the head of the Covert Ops of the Royal Guard. The unit who is usually the one responsible for executing the lawbreakers, and the one to carry out the king's will. Before Teiko had became the nightmare that it now is, the Covert Ops had been a unit who protected Teiko and the royal family from the shadows, usually working hand-in-hand together with the Intelligence Unit and the Protection Unit. Thus, needless to say, the commanders of these three units must have been good friends in a way. At least, until everything had gone spiralling down to Hell.

"It might sound surprising to you." The usually silent Otsubo spoke up, glancing at Seirin over the notebook that he is currently poring over. "But before the Generation of Miracles—the commanders of the Royal Guard became the tyrants they are now, they are people once upon a time. They are kind. Honourable. With a strong sense of justice. The kingdom loved them. And the soldiers idolised them."

"They were also Tamaki's close friends." Takao added. "She loved them like brothers. If they haven't been good people, she would never have given them a moment of her time. Once upon a time, she would have willingly gave her life for them, as they would her."

"And now?" Tsuchida asked curiously. On the bench, Kiyoshi's expression darkened.

"I don't know anymore." Shigehiro sighed, exchanging looks with Haizaki even as he made a mark on the map that the six of them were currently poring over. "Like what Tamaki had said, I don't know who they are anymore. They aren't the people whom they used to be when we were in the military academy. Frankly, what they're capable of doing now, and _will_ do…" He trailed off slowly. "They scare me." He admitted. "Tamaki is probably as guilty as them when we were still in the Royal Guard—just like the rest of us. She had never tried to deny any wrongdoing on her part, and neither did we. But the sole difference between Tamaki and the other four is that she had never once liked what she was ordered to do. She never enjoyed hurting people, unlike the other four." Shigehiro said sternly, making sure that Seirin understands this. If there is anyone who dared to badmouth Tamaki, the rest of them would not simply sit still and listen. "There was a time when she was just this close to ending her own life because she simply couldn't take it anymore. It is probably then when she started helping out those whom she could help secretly. Many of us here owe our lives to Tamaki. It is probably a miracle in itself that she never got caught even once when she was still with the Royal Guard." Shigehiro sighed.

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki wasn't surprised when Kagami Taiga planted his butt down onto the crate beside her without saying anything.

She knew that it is only a matter of time before one of the others come and join her for guard duty. Usually, there are always two people who do guard duty, especially at night, and during the graveyard shift. But as she needed to clear her mind lately, the others have allowed her to do guard duty alone.

Tamaki glanced at the side profile of Kagami who seemed rather nervous. He reminds her a lot of her old friend when they were still in the academy, and during their early days of being a soldier. At least until the kingdom had changed, and her friends with it.

"…I wonder… Are we doing the right thing here?" Tamaki muttered suddenly, almost as if she's speaking to herself.

"What?" Kagami stared at her, confused.

Before either one of them could say anything, Takao approached the two just then, a serious look on his face. "Susa just sent word," he told Tamaki who frowned. "We have a _serious_ problem."

* * *

"He had been collecting intel in one of the trade towns not too far from the Royal City." Takao repeated what he'd heard from Susa via one of their communication devices just half-an-hour earlier. "Apparently, a unit from the Royal Guard had been dispatched. They are marching onto a village to the south." He paused, taking in the looks on the faces surrounding him. He is fairly sure that no one is going to like hearing what he had to say next. "They're going to subjugate a village."

Seirin paled, but the former Royal Guard members present seemed to have anticipated something like this happening. And Riko had a feeling that this probably isn't the first time that they have heard something like this happening.

"Which village?" Haizaki asked at last, rubbing his temples, looking extremely tired.

"Meiko Village."

Shigehiro dropped the pen in his hand as he stared at Takao in horror, and Tamaki narrowed her eyes dangerously. Haizaki on the other hand looked ready to blow.

"…What?"

"Meiko…?" Kiyoshi repeated that word slowly. If memory serves him right, that is a small village located in the southern region of Teiko. "Isn't that your home village?" He asked, looking from Tamaki to Shigehiro to Haizaki.

"Why would they—" Kagami spluttered.

"It's not as uncommon as you think, unfortunately." Otsubo sighed. "The Red King sometimes send troops to villages in order to spread his influence and his beliefs—particularly those in remote villages. We've managed to stop a few in the past, and they haven't tried to subjugate another village for nearly six months now. We thought that it is going to be just a matter of time before they try again." He had a strained smile on his face. "After all, the Red King doesn't like anyone going against him and his authority."

No one said anything for a long time, merely looking at each other, as Tamaki, Shigehiro and Haizaki looked ready to explode. And considering that this is their hometown that they're talking about, none of them are surprised. Finally, after what seemed like a long while, the three childhood friends exchanged looks with each other before nodding as one.

Together, they got up from their seats.

"I won't ask any of you to come with us if you don't want to." Tamaki told them seriously. "We've been to stop the Royal Guard from subjugating villages and towns in the past before. It is never a pretty business. Make no mistake, this is _war._ And people die during war. It isn't going to be pretty. You guys have never killed before." Tamaki looked at Seirin as she said so, save for Kiyoshi whom she knew _had_ killed before. You don't get to be in the Royal Guard unless you're one of the kingdom's best, and being one of their best means that your hands were already stained with blood. "The moment that your sword tastes their first blood; the moment that you take a life with your own hands, it can never be washed clean again. You have to take on that burden; the knowledge that you've committed the evil act of murder all in the name of justice. If you aren't ready for it, don't come. Hesitance can mean your life."

"We're heading there." Haizaki announced. "None of us had been back to Meiko since we have left for the military academy, but we're going back there."

"We're not going to let anything happen to the village." Shigehiro added grimly.

"What makes you think that we'll let you go alone?" Takao asked with a smirk, getting to his feet as well, and the others followed suit. "We owe you our lives, Tamaki. When we joined the rebel forces, we all knew what we're getting ourselves into. We were all prepared to lay down our lives if necessary."

"What he said." Riko nodded. "It is true that we've never killed before, but all of us knew that someday, we might have to." She glanced at Seirin. "We swore to restore peace to the kingdom. And the fastest way seems to be helping you. You helped us. So now, we'll help you. We Seirin believed in repaying your debts." She grinned.

Tamaki sighed, exchanging looks with Shigehiro and Haizaki who both grinned at her. "Very well," she said at last. "Get geared up. We're leaving in ten minutes."

**XXXXXX**

They managed to find the unit that the Red King had sent out a few miles before they reached the Meiko Village.

"…They're from Security Unit." Takao frowned, lowering his sniper lenses, having recognised the purple and white colours of the armband around their uniforms.

"At least they aren't from Covert Ops." Riko sighed in relief, having been dreading that the entire route here. "Kagami? Kagami?" She called out to the tall redhead who didn't seem to have heard her, and was staring at the soldier leading the unit, his face as black as thunder. "Hey, Kagami?"

And then, much to everyone's surprise, Kagami leapt off the large oak tree that they're currently perched on, rushing straight towards the unit.

"Hey! Come back, Kagami!" Hyuuga hollered, but to no avail.

"Damn it!" Shigehiro palmed his face. "Gun them down!" He shouted to Takao, Miyaji, Kimura and Otsubo before leaping off the tree as well, and running after Kagami before he got himself killed. Tamaki and Seirin followed a split second later.

The sounds of gunfire rang through the air barely a second after that, as soldier after soldier fell even as they ran towards the soldiers if only to save Kagami from losing his head.

"Shogo-kun, clear a path for me." Tamaki told Haizaki even as she drew out two identical looking silver blades from the pouches by her sides. "I'm going to go all out."

"Roger." Haizaki grinned even as he drew out his handgun and started firing. With every bullet that was released, one soldier went down. Not for nothing are the soldiers in the Intelligence Unit and the Covert Ops said to be the best in the kingdom. Each and every one of them are pros at combat, and in weaponry usage.

"You're about to learn why she's called the Ghost." Shigehiro told Seirin over his shoulder as he withdrew his own gun as well, gunning down the soldiers that are heading towards Tamaki's direction as she weaved in and out of them. "Kuroko Tamaki is said to be one of the strongest commanders in the Royal Guard for a reason, and you're about to learn why."

It only happened in a split second.

One moment, Tamaki was there, weaving in and out of the soldiers. The next moment, she had vanished, and the ten soldiers that were standing near her went down in an instant, deep gashes visible across their throats.

Kiyoshi smiled to himself. "She's as strong as ever," he commented.

* * *

Kagami glared at the soldier across from him who looked at the redhead with guilt in his eyes. "Answer me, Tatsuya!" he demanded, ignoring the carnage happening around him. "You know what this kingdom has become! You know how the people have been suffering because of the king! Why are you still helping him to torture and kill people?" He thundered.

"I owe Atsushi a great debt, Taiga." Tatsuya said stubbornly.

Kagami only scowled. "Then does Alex deserve to die?" he thundered at Tatsuya who looked guilty and ashamed. "You were there that day! Why didn't you save her?" He roared, drawing out his blade and bringing it down on his surrogate brother who barely blocked it in time with his own blade. "Why did you let her die?"

"I…"

Both teens leapt away from each other, not taking their eyes off of the other. "I don't know what you owe this 'Atsushi', Tatsuya. But I do know that what the king and the Generation of Miracles are doing is wrong!" Kagami roared.

Before either one could land another blow, there was a glint of silver before both their swords were knocked out from their hands. Kuroko Tamaki stood in between the two, a steely glint in her eyes.

When did she get here?

Kagami wondered to himself even as he cradled his hand. "Tamaki!"

"It's been awhile, Himuro Tatsuya." Tamaki said coolly, looking at the teen across from her.

"…Kuroko Tamaki." Tatsuya murmured, a look of recognition visible in his eyes, much to Kagami's surprise. "I didn't know that you knew Taiga. So you're still alive."

"Let me tell you how this is going to work." Tamaki said, pointing the end of her blade at Tatsuya. "You are going to return to the Royal City with whatever remained of your forces—" She glanced at the numerous bodies lying dead on the ground. "Or you can stay here and die like the rest of them. The choice is yours."

"You're Royal Guard too." Tatsuya hissed.

"In case it'd slipped your notice, I left two years ago when this kingdom started going downhill, and the Royal Guard started betraying the people, their souls and their own pride and honour as a soldier." Tamaki hissed. "What is it going to be, Himuro-kun?"

Tatsuya frowned before whistling shrilly. "I'm sure that the king is going to be very interested to learn that you're alive all this while," he said, even as the remaining soldiers surrounded Tatsuya, raising their swords threateningly at Phantom. More than one of them looked uneasy when they realised just who they're facing. "I can't beat you. I have no delusions in thinking that I could beat one of the famed Generation of Miracles in battle. But know this, Kuroko Tamaki. There is nothing that you can do but bend to the will of the king. He _will_ bring this kingdom to greatness."

"The only thing that he'll bring is destruction!" Kagami roared, about to leap at Tatsuya, but Tamaki stopped him.

"I will let you leave alive for two reasons," she said coolly, cold blue eyes moving from face to face. Behind her, the rest of the rebels shivered and exchanged wary looks with each other, save for Shigehiro and Haizaki. If this is Kuroko Tamaki when she is starting to get angry, then they have no desire to see her when she gets truly pissed. "The first reason is that I want the Red King, the Royal Guard and the entire kingdom to know that there are still people who won't stand for what Teiko had become." She narrowed her eyes. "And the second reason is that I want you to deliver a message to the Red King, and to the Generation of Miracles. You can tell them in person that I am still alive. That there will be people who will fight against them. And that no matter how hard they look, they will never find us. And I want them all to know that I'll go after them. One by one. Until they are all as dead as the people whom they'd sentenced to death for no reason at all."

"This is our kingdom, Tatsuya." Kagami scowled. "The Teiko Kingdom isn't the king's kingdom. It belongs to the people! This is where we grew up! This is the kingdom that our parents gave their lives for! And I refuse to let the people suffer anymore!"

**XXXXXX**

Kagami winced as he allowed Tamaki to tend to the injuries visible on his arm.

Takao and the others are currently cleaning up the blood and the dead bodies visible on the road to the Meiko Village whilst Shigehiro, Haizaki and the rest of Seirin are checking on the villagers of Meiko with Sakurai tending to the injured, or even the sick. Surprisingly, Tamaki, Shigehiro and Haizaki seemed extremely popular amongst the villagers, and as this is their hometown, Kagami isn't too surprised.

The two are now currently in the village elder's house, where Takeda Kenji had allowed them to use his house for Tamaki to tend to Kagami's wounds as he checked on his villagers.

"I have no idea what you're thinking; barging in there. Do you really want to die that much?" Tamaki asked harshly as she cleaned the gashes on Kagami's arm with some antiseptic, and the redhead winced at the stinging pain that shot through his arm. "We have plans for a reason, Kagami-kun. If you don't follow them, you'll get us all killed."

Kagami winced. He knew that he had been very stupid, and it is already a miracle in itself that Tamaki isn't throwing him out of Phantom. "I'm sorry," he said meekly.

Silence fell between the two for several moments.

"I didn't know that you knew Himuro-kun." Tamaki said at last. "Are you friends?"

"Not exactly." Kagami said awkwardly, not feeling very comfortable at telling his history to Tamaki when even Seirin hadn't heard this part. But for some reason, Kagami feels as if he can trust Tamaki. "He's…my older brother. Kind of." He shrugged. "We aren't related by blood, but we see each other as brothers. Our parents were killed in the last war when we were really small. They have been soldiers, you see? A close friend of theirs named Alex took us in after that. She raised us." Kagami gave a small sentimental smile at the thought of the blonde woman. "I left my village when I was about thirteen for the big city to learn the cooking trade under a notable chef. Tatsuya left a few years before I did to join the military academy to become a soldier. I had just saved enough to open my own food stand when well…" Kagami shrugged uncomfortably. "How did you know Tatsuya anyway?" He asked Tamaki curiously. "He seemed to know you personally."

Tamaki said nothing for several moments, bandaging Kagami's arm carefully before she looked at him. "He worked for the Royal Guard too, as you saw earlier," she told him, closing the lid of the first aid box that she had loaned from the village elder. "I knew him via work connections. He served as the deputy to Murasakibara Atsushi, one of the commanders—and a member of the Generation of Miracles. Murasakibara-kun was the Head of Security." She added. "Our units worked together from time to time, and I met Himuro-kun then."

Kagami was silent. "…I think I understand what the others meant now when they said that I could understand you," he said at last. "The Tatsuya that I knew is a man full of justice and honour. That is why he wanted to be a soldier. He wanted to protect the kingdom like his parents did. He wanted to protect Alex. And me." He admitted. "Who is the man standing before me now? I don't know him." He said miserably.

The elder to the Meiko Village walked in just then—a frail looking old man who looked about to fall over at any moment now if it hadn't been for the support of his walking stick.

"Elder!" Tamaki stood up immediately, bowing politely to him, a look of genuine respect in her eyes. Probably, at some time during her childhood, this man must have helped her out. "It's been a long time."

"Indeed it has." Takeda Kenji smiled at Tamaki. "You've grown up to be so beautiful and capable and strong. Your parents would have been very proud of you." He told her.

"What is the situation outside?" Kagami asked Takeda.

"We only have minimal injuries because you intercepted the soldiers before they could arrive at our village." Takeda told Kagami with a smile. "You saved Meiko. On behalf of our village, I thank you." He bowed to the two.

"What are you going to do now?" Tamaki asked Takeda worriedly. "I'm worried that troops will come again, now that we've shown ourselves after two years."

"We'll be fine." Takeda reassured Tamaki. "We aren't that weak. We have defense troops here. Probably nothing compared to the king's forces, but it is better than nothing."

"Defense troops?" Kagami enquired.

"There isn't a guard outpost or even a town for miles around this area." Tamaki told Kagami. "Sometimes, the villages here face problems from bandits and outlaws. Meiko is the only village for miles that had a defense force. My father trained them in combat." She told Kagami, much to his surprise. "The Kuroko family have always resided in this village, instead of the big city or even a town like so many of the noble clans. That's why we aren't too popular with the noble clans."

"Then some noble clans need to learn what it is like to put your lives on the line." Takeda said firmly. "The Count is a great man, My Lady. He is brave and wise and noble. I don't care what others say. In Meiko's opinion, there is no finer clan than the Kuroko family. Bloodlines and lineage doesn't matter to us. Your father had always tried to protect us. The Kuroko clan have always been our guardians. The kingdom's guardians. That is enough for us to know. The same way that we don't care in the least even if you're branded as a traitor. You tried to protect us. You tried to protect the kingdom. You are your father's child, My Lady."

Tamaki said nothing for several moments before she finally looked at Takeda. "By the way, is my old house still standing?" she asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"I need to retrieve something."

**XXXXXX**

"So what do you think?" Kise Ryota asked after Himuro Tatsuya had given his report, and had left to get his injuries seen to. "About what he'd said."

"What do I think?" Aomine Daiki drawled. "What do I care even if she's alive or not? She is the enemy now." He polished his sword lovingly, and with an almost maniacal gleam in his eyes. "I'm almost eager to cross my blade with her." An almost bloodthirsty smirk spread across his lips.

"I wonder what the king will order?" Murasakibara Atsushi drawled, munching on a bag of potato chips as usual. It is almost a wonder how he never gets fat, no matter how much he eats.

"It doesn't matter what the king orders." Kise said seriously. "What he order, we do. That is our role as his shields and his swords."

Midorima Shintaro scoffed before he got up, and begun heading for the door. "It doesn't matter what _we_ think now, huh?" he said almost scornfully. "But if you ask me, in my opinion, Tamaki deserves her revenge." He said. "And as far as I'm concerned, _all_ of us deserve to die at her hands."

Without even waiting for an answer, he walked out of the meeting room, slamming the door shut behind him. The green head stalked down the hallways of the palace, ignoring the polite bows that passing soldiers gave him, even as he walked towards his unit's headquarters.

He finally stopped in the middle of the hallway, remembering what Himuro Tatsuya had told them. Midorima closed his eyes briefly, remembering something from his past.

"_And pray tell, why should I help you?" Tamaki looked at him with something akin to disgust visible in her eyes._

Midorima stared at his feet for several moments, remembering what Tamaki had said to him a few days before she had disappeared.

"_You can't keep ignoring everything around you as no business of your own, Midorima-kun. By the time that you realised it, and wanted to do something to stop it, it might already be too late. And maybe someday…"_

"_Someday…"_

Midorima sighed, slumping against the wall, looking up towards the tall ceiling. "I thank you, Tamaki," he whispered. "For giving me a reason to live to see another day. If so that I can soon find solace in death."

A lone tear trickled down his face.

**XXXXXX**

Kuroko Tamaki took the familiar trek to her childhood home at the top of the hill.

Unlike most noble families, her family prefers to live as simple as possible, living in a simple house instead of a mansion. To anyone who isn't aware that her family are nobles, they would think that they're simple village folk.

Tamaki pushed the door opened slowly which swung opened with a creak. Due to the long number of years that had passed since anyone had last been in here, there is now a thick layer of dust covering the floors, the walls, and even the furniture left behind.

For several moments, Tamaki merely stood at the entrance, drinking in the sight of the sitting room with the simple furniture decorating it. For a moment, she could have sworn that she had just been transported back into time. She could almost see her mother sewing whilst sitting on the rocking chair, with her father watering the plants sitting on the windowsills.

But when Tamaki blinked, those images disappeared.

The teal haired girl entered the house with a heavy heart, walking towards the large painting of her family that her father had commissioned to be painted when she was just born. The painting was hanging just above the fireplace. Both her parents looked so happy in that painting, with her as a tiny baby being cradled in her mother's arms.

Wordlessly, Tamaki took hold of the painting, and tugged on it gently, removing the heavy painting frame from the wall, setting it down on the ground. A lock was visible in the safe-like object on the wall behind the painting—being the only part of the house that isn't covered in thick dust.

Tamaki then reached for the black choker around her neck, removing it and staring at the crescent moon pendant hanging from it, with it being made from pure silver. It is probably several hundred years old at this point of time, but it still looks as though it had just been forged yesterday. That pendant had been passed down through her family for generations, and just before her parents have gone to war, her father had given it to her.

The teal haired girl then inserted the pendant into the strange keyhole visible in the safe-like object on the wall. Something opened with a click just then, and Tamaki opened the safe door. An old looking brown envelope was lying on the bottom of the safe, with a pure white daito sword with the engravings of red phoenixes visible on it lying atop the envelope.

"_Listen to me, Tamaki." Her father knelt down to her eye level. "Someday, when the kingdom is in danger, come here once more. And this…" He removed the choker that he always wore around his neck, placing it around his daughter's neck. "This will show you the way." He looked into his daughter's eyes seriously. "You are to be Guardian and Protector, like how members of our family had always been for the Teiko Kingdom."_

Tamaki picked up the white daito sword lying in the safe, picking it up with her right hand. With her left hand, she removed the pure black sword hanging horizontally behind her waist, looking between the two swords. Both so identical, and yet different at the same time.

"_The Kuroko family's 'Shadow' and the royal family's 'Light' come in a pair. They've always been kept apart unless the kingdom is in danger. Someday, when Teiko is in danger, give that sword to the one whom you feel worthy to be the king—the one to bring Teiko back to the light."_

Tamaki could still remember her father's words from so long ago like it was yesterday resounding in her head. Wordlessly, she placed her black blade back into its sheathe at her waist, whilst fastening the white blade onto her back.

Finally, Tamaki picked up the envelope lying at the bottom of the safe, opening it carefully, and withdrawing the contents within. She stared at it for several moments, feeling tears pricking at her eyes before she blinked it away quickly. She remembered what the late king and queen have told her once when she had first started her apprenticeship after finishing at the military academy.

"I can't be his protector anymore, Heika." Tamaki whispered to herself, closing her eyes briefly. "…Sei, where are you? The kingdom needs you now. More than ever."

Tamaki looked down at the contents of the envelope within her hands once more. There is only one object within the envelope – a photograph that seemed to be nearly two decades old, with the edges already turning slightly yellow with age.

A photograph of that of two identical looking red haired babies lying on a bed. The one on the right had brilliant red eyes, and was smiling shyly at the camera. The baby on the left on the other hand had different coloured eyes of red and gold, and he had an almost malicious smirk on his face – creepy to be seen on a baby's face.

_Evil_ should not be a word used to describe a child after all, much less a baby. Truly, there is nothing more fearsome than evil in the heart of a child.

Tamaki stared at the picture of the baby with different coloured eyes for several moments without saying anything, a steely glint visible in her eyes.

"…I will never accept you as the king," she said at last, nearly glaring holes at the picture of the red haired baby with different coloured eyes. "You aren't the king. You are not worthy. You aren't worthy to fill his shoes. You aren't worthy to be the king of Teiko. I will _never_ accept you."

The smirk on the baby's face seemed to be almost mocking her.

* * *

_A/N: You guys know the drill by now. You probably have more questions than answers with every single chapter that I've written. I might try my hand at a detective Kuroko no Basuke story one of these days, but I'm no good at writing mystery. Anyway, as far as pairings goes, like I've said before, I'm not sure if I'm going to have any pairings in this story. If there are any, you are going to have to literally __**squint**__ to be able to see it!_

_I already have some questions about the different units that the Generation of Miracles are heading, so here is a list for your reference:_

_Covert Ops: Aomine Daiki  
__Intelligence Unit: Kuroko Tamaki  
__Protection Unit: Midorima Shintaro  
__Security Unit: Murasakibara Atsushi  
__Self Defense Forces: Kise Ryota_

_Also, I'm unsure if anyone had been getting the same problem, but I hadn't been receiving any alerts from FF for a while. Any idea why? __Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	4. How Much Are You Willing to Sacrifice?

**Warnings:** AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Evil Generation of Miracles. Character deaths.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Four: How Much Are You Willing to Sacrifice?**

"_How much can you take away from someone…who already has __**nothing?"**__ - Ogiwara Shigehiro_

**XXXXXX**

The entire base was extremely silent; almost as silent as a graveyard, even as the rebels watched their unofficial leader flipping through the pages of the recent Bingo Book that Imayoshi Shoichi had managed to steal from a member of the Royal Army in one of the larger cities when he and a few others have gone on 'Robin Hood' duty.

Shigehiro sighed even as Tamaki placed the book down onto the table, with two of the pages that they could see containing photos of Shigehiro himself and Tamaki—with a ridiculously high bounty amount on Tamaki's page.

"Well, the fat's in the fire now." Haizaki grunted, looking from face to face. "Truth be told, it is only a matter of time before they place us in the Bingo Book. Those guys aren't idiots. They should know full well that Tamaki and the rest of us are still alive."

Takao agreed. "After all, we worked for them once upon a time," he nodded. "They know what we're capable of."

"And if so, there is only one thing left here for us to do." Imayoshi noted, picking under his nails with the tip of his dagger. He then glanced at the surrounding faces. "If they come after us, then they shouldn't expect to return alive, if at all." There is a steely glint visible in his eyes that made Seirin shiver.

It is easy to forget, but once upon a time, nearly half of these guys here are former Royal Guard members; former soldiers. They were the best of the best; the kingdom's top killers. Particularly the former members of the Intelligence Unit that Kuroko Tamaki had once headed.

Tsuchida fidgeted, feeling really uncomfortable. "…If we do fight and kill those soldiers though…" He trailed off uneasily at the mere thought of killing fellow citizens.

True, they might call themselves 'rebels', but up until now, none of them have ever killed another person before. Even nearly a half month ago when they have gone to help Meiko Village, none of Seirin had ever killed a fellow human being. The killings have been done by the others.

"We won't be the good guys anymore, is that it?" Susa Yoshinari cracked opened an eye, understanding visible in his expression.

"Right from the start, there isn't any difference between the definitions of 'good' and 'bad' in a war." Otsubo Taisuke said solemnly. Only a soldier like themselves would understand it better than anyone else. "The difference between us and the kingdom's soldiers are the ways that we take to do what we believe is right."

Tamaki looked at Seirin. "The only thing that we're allowed to do…is to believe that we won't regret the choice that we made," she said. For a moment, Seirin almost thought that Tamaki seemed to be somewhere else. "After all, there are no victors in a war. The true victors are merely those that survive. Noting more than that. When both sides step out onto the battlefield, the lines between good and evil are blurred—thus making both sides evil." She closed her eyes briefly as if remembering something painful. "The last war taught us that." She murmured. Some of the others have similar expressions on their faces too.

"The last war?" Hyuuga echoed. "You shouldn't be old enough to fight in the last war." He pointed out. Hell, even Hyuuga himself isn't old enough to fight in the war, and he is quite easily amongst the oldest here.

The last war between the Teiko Kingdom and the Kamata West Kingdom had taken place more than a decade ago, and had lasted for nearly five years. As with every war, Teiko had taken a long time to recover after it had ended, but they did. It is Kamata West that is still a shadow of their former self, having initiated a war that had almost destroyed their economy and the lives of their people.

"We weren't." Tamaki agreed, exchanging glances with Haizaki and Shigehiro. "But our parents were."

"Huh?"

"Our parents have been friends in the military academy." Shigehiro added, gesturing towards himself, Haizaki and Tamaki. "Thus, the three of us grew up together because of that. When the war between Teiko and Kamata West had broken out, our parents were called in to serve, as all of them have been in the Royal Guard. And when the war ended, we were then told that our parents were killed in battle. That is when the prince had offered to sponsor us into the military academy if we so wished it."

"He did?" Koganei sounded doubtful. "Somehow, I find that hard to believe."

Tamaki, Shigehiro and Haizaki have to resist the urge to throw their swords at him. Blade first.

"The…prince was a good man once." Otsubo said. "Everyone loves him. He loves this nation and the people living within it, and will die before letting anything happen to them." He sighed. "That is why so many people had a hard time trying to understand just who is the mad man on the throne now, and even why the Generation of Miracles have now become the kingdom's worst tormentors and nightmares."

"No matter what it is, what's done is done." Tamaki interrupted, standing up from the table that she is sitting at. Her face is a mask of indifference, thus, no one could really tell what she is thinking. "Imayoshi-kun. Takao-kun. In the Operations Room now. I need your help."

"Roger." The two mentioned drawled as one as they followed the teal haired girl into the building that everyone knew is the Operations Room where all the main communication machines and such were located, and even where Tamaki does her planning for operations and tactics.

The rest looked at each other, not knowing just what to say. Only those that have known Tamaki on a more personal basis when they were still in the Royal Guard knew that the topic of the Generation of Miracles—her former friends, is still a sore topic for her.

The truth is that _no one_ knew exactly why the prince had made a complete 180 change the moment that he had ascended to the throne after the period of mourning for the late king and queen is over. And neither did anyone knew exactly just why the Generation of Miracles—the Royal Guard's five commanders have changed so much either.

Even Tamaki herself had quite a terrifying reputation the first few months after the king had started making all those royal decrees. It is only after six months when there were rumours going about that she is about the only decent member of the Generation of Miracles who won't arrest the civilians on some trumped up charge. It had never been proven that Tamaki had anything to do with 'criminals' giving the Royal Guard 'the slip', and thus, Tamaki had never been arrested.

"What made them change?" Izuki asked quietly at last. He looked at the others. "What made the Generation of Miracles change into the monsters that they are now? I remember them, you know? Or at least, what they have been _once._ Two of their members saved my village a few years ago from a group of outlaws and bandits. They were good people. Kind too. Honourable. With a strong sense of justice. I know that they were good soldiers once—the kingdom wouldn't have loved them as much as they did if they weren't. But now…" He trailed off slowly. "What made them change?"

Shigehiro and Haizaki exchanged looks between each other. "None of us know why." Shigehiro admitted at last. "It could be because of the atrocious deeds that they were each ordered to perform under the orders of the king that had changed them. Or it could be that they always had that darkness in their hearts. No one knew why they changed. And anyway, it didn't matter anymore." He shook his head. "All of us here have lost something important to the kingdom…and to the Red King." He said slowly. "That's why all of us are here, isn't it? In search of a better tomorrow."

There was silence for several moments.

"…What did she lose?" Kagami was the first one to break the silence, and as one, everyone's attention was on the tall redhead. "Kuroko. What did she lose?" He asked again. "There is something in her eyes that reminds me of brittle glass. And during that battle at Meiko… It makes me feel like she couldn't care less what happens to her. What happened to her? What did she lose?"

Shigehiro and Haizaki exchanged looks between themselves. "How much can you take away from someone…who already has _nothing?"_ Shigehiro said at last. Everyone was confused at that strange question even as Shigehiro looked at Kagami. "If you try to answer that question, then you should already know the answer to the one you were asking."

"What do you mean by that?" Furihata asked with a confused frown.

"Because Tamaki-san is related to the royal family, didn't you know that?" Sakurai who had been very silent all this while spoke up, almost shirking back at the stares on his person. "She is the current king's cousin. The late queen had been her aunt—her father's younger sister." He explained, much to Seirin's shock.

"_What?"_

"She's never mentioned it!" Hyuuga spluttered. "And if she is related to the royal family…" His brain worked furiously. "Wouldn't that make her in line for the throne? Something like a princess? Why would someone like that be a soldier?"

"Only a mere handful of us knew of Tamaki's relationship to the royal family." Wakamatsu admitted, picking beneath his fingernails with his dagger. "Not even myself, Susa and Imayoshi-san knew until we served under her in the Intelligence Unit for a few years in the Royal Guard. And even then, we only found out by accident. If Tamaki had it her way, I think that none of us would even learn about it. I think that the king and queen at that time wanted to protect her from any rumours that said that she only got to where she is by connections or something."

Wakamatsu glanced at his former colleagues.

Heaven knows that it happens all the time back then before the Generation of Miracles became the commanders. When they became the leaders of the Royal Guard, there was a full scale cleansing of the Royal Guard and Royal Army. Several squad leaders of the Royal Army have found themselves demoted to being mere palace guards or even messengers due to their lack of ability.

There have been people at that time that got to where they were due to family connections or even family names. It had given those that have both power and ability a tough time to get promotions, as one could only get promoted if they have a superior officer's recommendation.

"Okay…?" Kagami was more confused than ever. "So if she is somewhat like a princess, why would she become a soldier? Wouldn't that put her in danger?"

"Well, none of us understood why either." Miyaji admitted. "But I think it has to do with her family. From what I know from our former…commander—" He seemed to struggle with his words. "The Kuroko family had served as guardians and protectors to the Teiko Kingdom for generations ever since the inception of the kingdom, and by default, the royal family. They are highly skilled warriors and assassins, specialising in intelligence and assassinations. They were highly revered soldiers. But from my understanding, due to people fearing their power, the clan had lost many members throughout the years. The last war didn't help matters either. As far as I know, there is only one survivor from the Kuroko family. Tamaki is the last one left."

"So when you say that she's lost everything…" Kagami trailed off slowly.

Shigehiro and Haizaki nodded. "Her parents died during the last war, just like ours did." Shigehiro answered. "We were too young then to remember much. But after that, all three of us left for the Royal City to attend the military academy. Due to Tamaki's high scores and her combat ability, it easily set her apart from the others. She met the people who would later become the Generation of Miracles, and who are amongst the first to accept her as who she is. Then the king and queen passed away, and the kingdom started to change, and even her friends. It soon came to such a point that it is almost like everything is slowly getting taken away from Tamaki. It is enough to drive anyone mad."

"She is just _this_ close to ending her own life once upon a time." Haizaki grunted, placing his forefinger and thumb so close together that they're almost touching. "I guess all the orders coming from the king as well as the number of atrocities that she had been forced to commit all in the name of Teiko and the king almost did her in. It is probably around that time when she started helping all those whom she could save. Those who were sentenced to be executed for the most trivial of crimes." He added, glancing at Sakurai who had a grim expression on his face as he recalled just how close a call that he had with Death via Aomine's blade if Tamaki and Imayoshi hadn't saved him.

"From my understanding, the Royal Guard is duty sworn to protect and obey the royal family with their lives." Riko said with a frown. "Wouldn't doing that make her a traitor? Why would she go this far?"

Silence.

"We can't tell you that." Shigehiro said at last. "If you really want to know the reasons behind all of Tamaki's actions, you have to ask her yourself. That is only if she is willing to tell you."

**XXXXXX**

It was nearly past eleven at night when Tamaki's stomach started to protest.

The teal haired girl groaned, pressing one hand against her abdomen whilst leaning over the table full of maps, papers and books in the Operations Room. Even though like all soldiers, she had been trained to go without food and water for a few days, not even she is immune to the effects.

The flap covering the entrance of the Operations Room was pushed to the side just then, and a certain tall redhead walked in, holding a tray of food. Kagami Taiga grinned at Tamaki. "They told me that you'd be getting hungry about now." He explained, placing the tray down on the only part of the table that isn't covered by maps or books. "You really are a workaholic, huh?"

Tamaki gave a small smile as she picked up the bowl of rice on the tray. "Thanks. Are the others asleep?" she asked.

"Yeah. Well, they had a long day." Kagami shrugged. "Takao is on guard duty tonight. I'm to switch shifts with him later at 6AM."

"Then you should get some sleep." Tamaki told him, digging into the meal that Kagami had brought her, and she paused. The food tastes a little different from the ones that Sakurai, Mitobe or even Shigehiro usually makes—and they're the three unofficial chefs here. "…Who made this?"

"Well… I did." Kagami admitted, scratching at his cheek with one finger. "I hadn't cooked anything ever since I'd joined Seirin, so everything that I'd learned during my chef training might have gone down the drain—"

"It's delicious." Tamaki interrupted. "Thank you for this." She looked at Kagami over drinking the miso soup that he'd brought her.

The redhead was seated in one of the chairs at the table, looking really uncomfortable. Tamaki had been a soldier for long enough to tell when someone is hiding something, and this particular redhead seemed to wear his emotions on his sleeve like a certain someone whom she used to know until Nijimura-san had beaten it out of him during his apprenticeship.

"A-Anyway, what are you doing in here?" Kagami asked. "Takao and Imayoshi had just walked out of the Operations Room a few hours ago, looking exhausted."

"Planning." Tamaki answered promptly, glancing at the numerous papers and maps scattered over the table. "I'm a strategist when I was with the Royal Guard. And even now, I'm the rebels' strategist. They're all counting on me to bring them back alive." She glanced at Kagami. "That is the job of the strategist. Often, we have to play the bad guy."

"Plans, huh?" Kagami muttered. "I never did think about it before. I mean, I've always been more of the action guy."

Tamaki was silent even as she finished her meal, and muttered her thanks beneath her breath. "You remind me of someone whom I knew once," she said at last. "He's always been more of the 'action' guy too. So much so that he tend to get into all kinds of scrapes if we hadn't been there to haul him out of the fire. But like I've told you before, plans exist for a reason. And if you don't follow them, you'll get us all killed. Especially at this current time." She glanced at Kagami. "Imagine this scenario: if a mini-war or even a riot was to break out, and there are going to be casualties, probably even deaths. And out of 500 men that you have, you have to send at least a quarter of them to their deaths just to claim a victory that can protect the lives of at least a thousand." Tamaki told the redhead. "This had been the situation that I was faced with when I'd just become one of the commanders of the Royal Army. No matter what it is, you have to believe that you've done the right thing, and that it is for the best, no matter how much people curse at you." Tamaki picked up a dark blue book by her side, flipping through it. "If you aren't ready to sacrifice everything, then you can't change anything at all."

"I still don't understand." Kagami admitted. "But I understand at least that what we're doing is right."

Tamaki was silent for a long while. "Right, huh?" she mused. "Who knows?" She murmured. "If what we're doing in the end is just killing, how does that makes us any different from the Red King and the Generation of Miracles?" She murmured, much to Kagami's confusion. She then looked at the redhead. "You wanted to ask me something, right?" Tamaki asked Kagami, and he jerked as if he'd just been shot. "I can tell. What is it?"

Kagami chuckled nervously. "Am I really that easy to read?" he asked sheepishly. Tamaki raised an eyebrow in response to his question, and he coughed. "Well… I've been wondering something for awhile now. Just…what are the Generation of Miracles anyway? What are they like before? Ogiwara and the others were saying that they were good people once, and that the kingdom loves them. And I just…"

"Can't believe them?" Tamaki guessed, and Kagami flushed. "I don't blame you. After all, you only know of them when they've started terrorising the kingdom. It only makes sense that you can't see them as good people." She fell silent for several moments. "Will you listen to me?" She asked. "Do you care to listen to a story? I'll tell you what you want to know. The people that the commanders of Teiko used to be."

* * *

Kagami stared up at the ceiling of the house that he and the rest of Seirin shared, the soft snores of his friends filling the room. But yet, no matter how hard he tried, he simply can't go to sleep. Not when his earlier conversation with Tamaki is running around his head.

"_Shige-kun and Shogo-kun grew up with me in Meiko, and we went to the Royal City to attend the military academy together." Tamaki had told Kagami. "In Teiko's military academy, we go through three years of training before becoming apprentices for a year. We were then acknowledged as fully-fledged soldiers after that, going into the different combat divisions. Most of the students in the academy have lost family due to the war, and for most of them, that is the reason why they are even in the academy in the first place. Due to the high scores that I've gotten in the entrance test, I was placed in the advanced classes, with Shige-kun and Shogo-kun sharing a few classes with me, as they didn't score so well in the academic and politic part, but aced the combat part. It was also the first time when I'd met the people who would later become part of the Generation of Miracles."_

Kagami turned on his side, trying to get comfortable.

"_It is true what the others said. They are good people once upon a time. We share aspirations. Even dreams for the future. We tend to fight a lot—just childish arguments, but you couldn't find better people whom you can trust to guard your back in a fight." Tamaki closed her eyes briefly. "They are honourable, with a strong sense of justice. Especially Aomine-kun when he'd single-handedly taken on about five guys at once to defend some students from bullies when we were in our second year. There isn't anyone that I would trust more than them. Except for perhaps Shige-kun and Shogo-kun."_

"_What happened? What changed them?" Kagami asked. They really sounded like good people once upon a time._

"_I don't know." Tamaki admitted. "It is as I've said earlier. It might be due to the number of atrocities that they were forced to commit all in the name of the king that had changed them. After all, the more 'bad stuff' that you do, the more that it will twist your character and personality to something unrecognisable. I've seen that happen countless times. And they scare me now." She admitted. "Do you know what is scary? The scariest thing about killing people is getting used to it. Honestly, I don't even know if we can call them 'human' anymore." She admitted. "Not when they don't even feel anything when killing."_

'_The Generation of Miracles…'_ Kagami thought to himself. _'What are they? What had happened to them?'_

"_When the former Captain of the Royal Guard stepped down, there have been several problems within the Royal Guard and the Royal Army. That is why our predecessor recommended to the king and queen for there to be five leaders instead of the usual one. I was head of Intelligence. Shige-kun and Shogo-kun were my deputies. Wakamatsu, Imayoshi and Susa served under me too. The Intelligence Unit are responsible for the investigations of all leads of anything that happens in the nation, and carries out the will of the king." Tamaki looked at Kagami. "When we, the Generation of Miracles became the commanders, we each swore a pact to protect the royal family and the kingdom with our lives if necessary. It would take a lot for us…for them to betray the Red King."_

"_I still don't understand why they would change." Kagami admitted. "Especially the prince."_

"_Power corrupts." Tamaki sighed. "It is truer than we think." She looked at Kagami. "I've been a soldier for a long time. I was raised to be one. The strong feed upon the weak. It is such an obligingly simply rule." She sighed. "Only victors are allowed to live. This world is merciless like this. Especially right now."_

**XXXXXX**

Takao stared at the wall opposite him even as he sat on the crate near the ladder that leads to the surface, his knees brought up to his chest. He wonders for a moment why everyone is talking about the past all the time all of a sudden, when the last thing that they want to do is to _remember _that their enemies have been once their former friends.

"Shin-chan…" Takao muttered, tightening his arms around his knees, remembering the annoyed look that the commander of the Protection Unit will give him whenever he calls the green head by that nickname.

Unlike most of his comrades who used to serve in the Royal Guard, Takao had never gone to the military academy. He had been a special case. He had lost his parents when he was fifteen due to slave traders, and had been kidnapped by them not long after. Takao still remembered how terrified he had been, not knowing just what is going to happen to him.

And then, the same slave traders were all defeated and rounded up by members of the Royal Guard. Midorima Shintaro and Kuroko Tamaki have been with the squad that was sent to arrest the slave traders and to rescue the slaves.

After all, under Teiko law, slavery had been outlawed for over three decades. There are still people who engage in it though, though it is usually kept under wraps, and only amongst the really rich nobles who engage in dirty activities.

Tamaki and Midorima were still serving their apprenticeship at that time, but Takao still couldn't get over just…how strong they have been. One of the slave traders had been ready to kill Takao when he had realised that he couldn't get away, but Midorima had shot him through his eye, thus killing him instantly and saving Takao.

Later on, when everything had been settled, Midorima had then taken Takao in, much to everyone's surprise. The Generation of Miracles were about to complete their apprenticeship at that point in time, and were soon to be given their own squads due to outstanding performance. And the shooter had then made the decision to take Takao in to train him as a soldier.

Then a few years ago when Takao had started questioning the Red King's recent decrees, and the king had then called for Takao's execution, Midorima had gone to Tamaki in a panic. Takao still remembered that, as Midorima had cornered Tamaki right in front of his cell in the dungeons.

"_I know that you have your ways! Please… I've never begged you for anything in my life. So please, Tamaki! Save Takao!"_

Takao buried his face into his knees. _'What are you thinking, Shin-chan? Are you good? Or are you evil? Are you truly on the side of the Red King? Why did you ask Tamaki to save me that day? I don't know what you're thinking anymore.'_

**XXXXXX**

In the Operations Room, Tamaki was about to blow out the candle and call it a night when there is a low bark at her feet, and she looked down only to see Aoi staring up at her, his tongue hanging out happily. Perched on his back is also a small white pigeon with a note tied to its feet.

"Aoi…" Tamaki smiled at her dog before bending down to pick up the pigeon, untying the note from its feet, and allowing it to flutter away. Hopefully, it can find a way out of the underground base.

The teal haired girl unfolded the note only to see the familiar calligraphy-like handwriting of a certain green head. There is only one sentence written on the paper.

_Tomorrow night. Lost Forest. 12 midnight._

* * *

_A/N: As always, you know the drill by now. More questions than answers. So is Midorima good? Or is he bad? Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	5. Meeting the Panther

**Warnings:** AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Evil Generation of Miracles. Graphic violence. Character deaths.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Five: Meeting the Panther**

"_I don't like the term 'good person' or 'bad person' because it's impossible to be entirely good to everyone or entirely bad to everyone. To some, you are a good person, while to others, you are a bad person." - Kuroko Tamaki_

**XXXXXX**

Kagami Taiga was awakened by the hustle and bustle occurring around the base at 8AM that morning.

The moment that he'd stepped out of his sleeping quarters, he was momentarily bewildered to see everyone hurrying around—with some of them heading in and out of the infirmary carrying tubs of water, and even sheets. Even the usual mild mannered and soft-spoken Sakurai was screaming orders from within the infirmary.

"What happened?" Kagami asked a stressed Miyaji who was disposing of several blood stained cloths in a corner, looking rather harried.

"One of the scouts stepped onto a landmine by mistake." Miyaji told him grimly. "He got his limbs blown off. He isn't anyone whom we knew, but is from one of the other bases. The leader from that base sent him to ours for treatment, as their medic over there isn't equipped to handle injuries of this calibre. Their medic even told us that he's black level, and to prep for euthanasia if necessary."

Kagami winced. Having been this long with Seirin and then with Phantom, he knew the various terminologies that they use by now. Black level. It meant that the patient is too far gone to be saved, and that the least that they could do is to help ease his pain as he went from one world to the next.

"Kagami!" Hyuuga popped his head out of the infirmary, and Kagami almost flinched as he saw that Hyuuga's hands are slick red with blood, with several blood splotches on his clothes and even on his glasses. "Get in here now! We need your help!"

Kagami blanched. He is no doctor; he doesn't even know the basics of emergency first aid even though Sakurai is trying to teach him. So what do they need his help for?

Despite the hundred and one questions currently running through his head however, he is quick to follow Hyuuga into the infirmary. Whenever Hyuuga uses _that_ tone of voice, it is never a good idea to disobey him.

Sakurai, Tamaki, Shigehiro and even Riko were surrounded around the bed where a bloodied body is lying on. Shigehiro was holding the body down by his shoulders with some extreme difficulty due to all the thrashing around that he was doing. Kagami took a closer look at the body as the head tilted back, and he nearly flinched at the sight of the body, resisting the urge to throw up everything that he had consumed last night.

The right leg was totally gone, and blood covered every inch of the body. There wasn't a single inch of the body that _wasn't_ drenched by blood, and Kagami can't even tell if the person is a male or a female, or even how old that they are, as the face is also extremely disfigured; almost like someone had just tried to feed him or her grenades. There was also a stump where the left arm used to be, with blood flowing like a steady river from it. A pool of blood is already starting to pool around the edges of the bed, with the once pristine and white sheets slowly turning crimson red.

"Dear Lord…!" Kagami nearly whispered, feeling his dinner from last night bubbling up to his throat. He wondered just how the other four in the infirmary were able to keep their wits and cool about them.

"Kagami, get over here!" Shigehiro shouted to the redhead. "Hold him down and stop him moving!"

Unsure of where to place his hands at first, Kagami then placed his hands onto whatever is left of the bottom half, trying hard not to feel squeamish even as the blood seeped through his fingers. Oh God… He is going to need a long bath after this.

"What happened to him?" Kagami asked as he watched Riko and Tamaki trying to stop the worst of the bleeding by tying spare bed sheets around the worst of the injuries, with Hyuuga trying to keep the head still. Sakurai meanwhile was rummaging through his medical cabinets for some medication and spare bandages as well as his surgical tools.

"He's with the Scouting Base!" Riko said grimly. "The report that got to us stated that the squad that he's with walked straight into a mine field! The others that he is with weren't so lucky! They were literally blown to pieces when they stepped onto the landmines! There were _nothing _but just pieces of them lying all over the place!"

Kagami turned vaguely green at the mental image that Riko had conjured up with her words alone, trying to resist the urge to puke at the coppery smell of the blood. He had never seen so much blood coming from one person before.

"Hyuuga-kun, hold this!" Sakurai returned just then from his medical cabinets, an unnaturally grim expression on his face, even as he dumped a silver surgical tray containing several surgical tools and even medication into Hyuuga's hands. "Hold him still, and don't let him move!" He told the others, even as the patient started screaming, with a growl almost like an animal tearing from his throat.

The brunette then took a pair of silver surgical scissors from the tray that he had just handed Hyuuga and started cutting the patient's shirt open. More blood flowed from the chest area, thus staining their hands even redder with blood. And it was then that Kagami realised to his horror that the chest was opened. He could even see the rib bones of the guy, also red with blood.

"Oh God…" Riko whimpered, staring at the opened chest cavity with horrified eyes.

Tamaki meanwhile was still trying to stop the bleeding by holding a cloth that seemed suspiciously like one of the bed sheets to the guy's abdomen, but to no avail. Quite a number of blood soaked sheets were already gathered in a pile next to Shigehiro on the ground, and the ground was getting slicked with wet coppery blood.

"Damn it! We're losing him!" Riko screamed, as the harsh and ragged breathing of the guy on the bed is getting fainter. It is already a miracle in itself that the guy is still alive as it is, especially after having stepped onto a landmine that had basically blown off his limbs.

"God…damn it!" Sakurai cursed for the first time in his life, banging the surgical tools that he had been using onto the tray that Hyuuga is holding with more force than necessary, with the blood still pouring out like a fountain from the chest cavity. And then, all of them stared in shock as Sakurai dug his hand into the guy's body, and Kagami resisted the urge to puke at the sight.

"His stomach is bleeding." Sakurai said, feeling around with his hand, his head turned away so that he did not have to watch. "One kidney gone; they must have lost it when they were transporting him here, and when we had stuffed his other organs back inside earlier…" Kagami turned a little green at that; he wasn't a fan at seeing someone stick his hand into a dying man's chest to check if he had lost any organs. "His heart…" Sakurai grimaced, still with his head turned away. "…It's still pumping, but it's getting weaker… His lungs… Oh my god…!" He bit on his lower lip. "We're losing him!"

"Damn it!" Tears were nearly spilling from Riko's eyes. It was then when Kagami was solely reminded that no matter how tough an outlook that Riko and Hyuuga portrayed, they are still relatively new to this whole war business—just like the rest of Seirin. And this is still the first time that they have seen someone barely hanging onto the threads of life, and slowly slipping to the afterlife in such a state.

"Can't you do anything?" Hyuuga barked at Phantom's resident doctor.

"We have to at least stop the bleeding before I can actually do anything!" The normally meek young man shouted back. Apparently, his personality took on quite a different side when he is in 'doctor mode'. "This isn't a proper hospital facility! I don't have all the required tools for something of this magnitude!"

"Well then, you're going to have to do something!" Tamaki said grimly, holding the cloth to the abdomen. The floor beneath the bed was already long covered with blood. "We're losing him!"

Sakurai's eyes then widened, with his arm still in the guy's chest. "Heart rate is slowing!" he shouted, much to their horror.

The guy on the bed then convulsed for one last time, and before the horrified eyes of all those present, there was one last shuddering breath…then it was quiet.

**XXXXXX**

The base was unusually silent.

And after seeing something like _that,_ Kagami will honestly be surprised if any of them could still act like their usual selves. No one had any appetite either, and Mitobe had taken a day off from cooking, instead helping the others to scrub the floor and walls of the infirmary clean, trying to get the coppery smell of blood out too.

Sakurai is probably still washing his hands—any more than that, and the brunette is probably going to scrub the skin off of his hands. Wakamatsu and Miyaji are probably still trying to scrub the blood out of the sheets that they have used to stop the blood flow. Otsubo had been spraying air fresheners together with Imayoshi earlier in every part of the base.

Haizaki, Shigehiro and Tamaki have taken the body to some unknown part of the sewers, and then together with the leader of the base where the deceased had come from…had then burned the body.

"We hadn't experienced such a loss for a long time now." Kimura was the first one to break the silence. "And I'm almost afraid to say this, but I think that Tamaki is right. I think that the tip-off that those guys have gotten is a trap laid by the Royal Army. Maybe even the Royal Guard."

"I really don't want to believe that they've fallen this far." Susa admitted. "But…"

"If it is, we can't leave it alone." Imayoshi said solemnly. "But…" He glanced at the others. "What do you think that they will find? Tamaki and the others."

"I don't know." Hyuuga admitted. "But something tells me that I don't want to know."

**XXXXXX**

"Tamaki, be careful." Takao warned as he watched Tamaki take a stick and poke at the ground gingerly, trying to ignore the sight of the blood all over this place. "We don't even know if there are still any mines left."

Wakamatsu frowned, surveying the abandoned grounds of the once village that they are now standing in. This village had been one of the first villages that had spoken out against the Red King when he had first came to power, and was then destroyed with his orders. At that point in time, it had been the Covert Ops led by Aomine who had destroyed it. And from what Tamaki knew, he had never even let a single civilian escape—be it be woman or child.

According to the information that they've gotten from the leader of the base that had sent the scouts, there is supposed to be a meeting of some high ranked soldiers. That is why he had even sent a group of five scouts.

"If this is indeed a trap set by the Royal Guard, then they've fallen lower than I even thought possible." Wakamatsu growled, sounding like an angry beast. "True, we're soldiers. We are all prepared to die. But dying via explosives is no way for a soldier to go!"

Tamaki then stiffened before she got to her feet. Tsuchida, Takao, Wakamatsu and Izuki who have came along stared at her curiously. "What's wrong?" Izuki asked.

The teal haired girl said nothing even as she placed her left hand over the hilt of her blade resting horizontally against the back of her waist. "You can't date me if you continue hiding," she said in a clear voice, much to the confusion of Tsuchida and Izuki, but the remaining two seemed to have some inkling as to what is going on, as they have one hand resting on their weapons. "Why don't you show yourself already, Kise-kun?"

The others with her stiffened. Takao and Wakamatsu specially have their muscles tensed, ready to spring at a moment's notice even as Tamaki turned around, eyes fixated on one of the abandoned houses that is still somewhat standing. Several moments passed before a tall blonde young man around the age of nineteen or so stepped out from around the corner, dressed in the familiar black and white uniform of the Royal Guard. The lining around his collar is in dark blue—signifying his status as one of the five commanders of the Royal Guard. A dark blue and black armband was also visible around his left arm, and there were two long swords visible on either side of him.

Wakamatsu narrowed his eyes. "Head of Self Defense Forces, Kise Ryota," he stated.

"Long time no see, Tamacchi." Kise greeted even as he approached them, acting for all in the world like he's simply greeting an old friend. "I see that you have brought some friends with you." His brown eyes glanced over the four with her. "And I'm sorry to say this, but…" The look in his eyes changed even as he drew out one of his swords. "I will have to ask you to die here."

Tamaki sighed even as she drew out her own black blade, stepping in front of Takao, Wakamatsu, Tsuchida and Izuki.

"Tamaki?" Izuki questioned.

"I'll handle him. Stay back." Tamaki spoke without taking her eyes off of Kise. "I see that Himuro-kun sent my message after all," she said, and Kise smiled coldly, the smile not quite reaching his eyes. "And what makes you think that you can beat me? From one Royal Guard to another, or former in my case, have you ever beaten me throughout the years when we were in the Royal Guard together?"

"I'll never know until I try, won't I?" Kise smirked before he made the first move and flew at Tamaki, with the latter blocking his sword easily with her own, before parrying Kise's other sword with a silver blade that she kept by her hip.

"Fast… They're both fast!" Tsuchida almost whispered in awe, watching the battle going on in front of them—if he could even call it that. It is almost akin to a deadly dance of some sort. Both fighters in front of them are agile, flexible, and fast on their feet. That much is clear to him at least.

"Shouldn't we try to help—" Izuki started, but Takao shook his head.

"We'll only be a hindrance to Tamaki." Takao told them, and Wakamatsu nodded his head. "Tamaki isn't known as the Ghost for nothing. Trust in her abilities. Besides, Kise won't be able to beat Tamaki, no matter how hard he tries." He added, turning his attention back to the battle in front of them even as Tamaki slashed Kise across his chest. The blonde managed to dodge it enough that it only tore through his uniform, leaving behind a long and deep gash.

"Why?"

"Kise had been mentored by Tamaki before he had entered the Royal Guard." Wakamatsu told Izuki and Tsuchida, much to their shock. "She taught him how to fight. And even after he'd entered the Royal Guard and became known as one of the Generation of Miracles, Kise had never been able to beat Tamaki in battle. Not even once. We've seen them spar countless times before. Tamaki had never gone all out on Kise. And yet, he has never been able to beat her. But this time, she has a reason to want him dead." He added. "And trust me when I say this that if Tamaki wants someone dead, she _will_ succeed."

Kise swiped at where Tamaki's head would have been with one of his swords if she hadn't leant out of the way, thus only resulting in a few strands of hair getting cut. The teal haired girl then took the chance to stamp down hard on Kise's foot, causing him to cry out, and before he could even do anything, Tamaki swung one booted foot at his face, thus knocking him off balance. The teal haired girl then followed up by swinging the hilt of one of her swords against his throat. _Hard._

Wakamatsu and Takao winced at that. They have seen Tamaki use this move before during one of the few occasions when she had been training her squad back during their days in the Royal Guard. Due to the commanders' overwhelming power, they often have to hold back, and thus, have to train their squad members with training swords instead of real blades. With a real sword, that move can easily break the neck of their opponent, or even cause them to not be able to talk for days.

Even still, as far as they knew, Tamaki is the only one who can use this move successfully, as it requires extensive knowledge of the human body and extreme precision—something that only Kuroko Tamaki possesses, as far as they knew.

Kise flew to the ground before lying motionless. Clearly, Tamaki had put enough power behind that attack to knock him out.

Takao whistled. "Remind me never to go against you in a battle, Tamaki," he grinned. "Is he dead?"

"Nope. I didn't deal any killing moves." Tamaki said even as she stood above Kise's motionless body, the blade of her sword pointing downwards, a hard look in her eyes even as she stared down at her former student.

Before she can move however, there was a black and blue blur that flew by, and before anyone even knew what is going on, there was a loud cry, with the sickening sound of the splatter of blood.

"TSUCHIDA!" Izuki cried out in horror, managing to catch his friend in his arms before he fell to the ground. The dark haired teen was horrified at seeing the amount of blood already pooling around his friend's body, and at the long and deep gash visible on his throat. Tsuchida struggled to speak, but only coughed out blood, clutching at his throat, clearly unable to breathe.

Tamaki parried the blade that could have taken off her head before she back flipped to where her friends were standing, standing in a combat stance, not taking her eyes off of the tanned man in front of her—also dressed in the same black and white uniform of the Royal Guard.

"The Panther, Aomine Daiki." Takao whispered, feeling a cold feeling pool around in his abdomen. Oh God. This isn't good. This isn't good at all…

"It's been awhile, Tamaki." Aomine Daiki smirked at his old friend, a semi-crazed and blood lust look visible in his eyes. Tamaki restrained a cringe at seeing the crazed look in her old friend's eyes. Clearly, either the Red King had done a number on him, or he had always been this crazy. "I see that you're still alive."

Tamaki's eyes flittered from her friends standing behind her to Aomine who is currently standing in front of her, several different plans and scenarios running furiously through her head. Amongst the five members of the Generation of Miracles, without a doubt, it is Aomine Daiki who is the most dangerous of them all. Tamaki is confident in her own skills and abilities. She is confident that she is able to beat her old comrades in a one-on-one battle. But Aomine had always been a wild card.

Unlike the rest of the Generation of Miracles who always had this elegant fighting style—even Murasakibara, Aomine's fighting style is comparable to that of how a wild animal fights. Even back during their days in the Royal Guard, it had always been difficult for Tamaki to beat Aomine.

His movements are simply too difficult to read and predict.

Furthermore, Tamaki still had her friends to protect, and _none_ of them are Aomine's match. The tanned young man is named the best amongst the Royal Guard for a reason.

If that is so…

Tamaki closed her eyes briefly, making her mind up.

"Wakamatsu, get them out of here." Tamaki ordered, shifting her left foot backwards slightly.

Wakamatsu recognised that tone of voice immediately. It had been the voice that Tamaki always used when disobeying her can bring about extremely dire results. "Got it." Wakamatsu said, grabbing Izuki by the arm and dragging him forcibly away from the already motionless Tsuchida. Having killed as many people as he had by now, Wakamatsu can already tell that Tsuchida is already dead. Truly, the Panther is to be feared. "Takao!"

Takao closed his eyes briefly. "…Roger."

"But—"

"Leave him!" Wakamatsu snarled, dragging Izuki away. Due to the danger that their lives have been in, there had been times when they have to abandon the bodies of their dead allies.

"But Tsuchida—"

"You can't face the Panther! You'll die if you do so!" Takao added, grabbing Izuki's other arm, and dragging him away together with Wakamatsu. "Only another member of the Generation of Miracles can hope to face him and possibly come out alive!"

"But Tamaki—"

"Don't worry about her." Wakamatsu said, glancing over his shoulder even as he dragged Izuki away. "She'll be fine. She always is."

Tamaki and Aomine both waited for the three to leave the scene before turning their attention back towards each other, weapons visible in their hands. It is almost like déjà vu. How many times have they sparred against each other ever since their days in the Academy? But this time, this is not for training or for fun. This is for real—a battle to the death.

"So these are the guys that you're hanging out with now?" Aomine smirked. "You sure had some poor taste in friends, Tamaki."

"Yeah. I had some poor taste all right. Too _blind_ to see just what you people really are!" Tamaki hissed.

"You and Midorima both…" Aomine seemed almost bored. "I don't know what you both are so upset about."

"I don't want to hear that from you." Tamaki said nonchalantly. "We were classmates since we were in the military Academy, so you of all people know just what I can do, and what I'm capable of, Aomine-kun." Tamaki shifted the black blade in her left hand, and Aomine's muscles tensed. "My speciality is cutting through flesh. If you need a reminder as to how fast I can kill a man, then by all means, I invite you to step forward—to try out just what I can do."

A cruel smirk crept on Aomine's face.

**XXXXXX**

"I get what you mean." Kagami said with a frown. "But I don't like it. And I don't understand why someone would do this."

Shigehiro exchanged looks with the others. "Well, I don't blame you, seeing as how you weren't a soldier," he said. "We were former soldiers, so we understand this better than anyone else. Every soldier is guaranteed to die, just like how _all_ of here are prepared to die. But remember this; our enemies are the same as us. They are human too. They aren't just pawns on a chessboard. They all have names, families and feelings in their hearts too. They are all humans who live and bleed."

"You probably can't comprehend it, Kagami." Susa said, cracking an eye opened. "But as former soldiers, we've seen it all. This is reality. We can't save everyone. Back then; Tamaki tried the best she could. But even there is a limit to how much she could do. She couldn't save all those that were sentenced to death by the Red King. Sakurai is just one of those that were lucky enough to be saved."

"How do you guys do it?" Riko muttered, staring at her hands like she could still see the blood there. "Not care?"

"We do care." Haizaki sighed. "We just don't show it, that's all. When you've figured it out, tell me." He glanced at them. "Because I'm still trying to figure it out myself."

Before anyone could say another word, Kimura came rushing in. "They're back!" he told them.

"All of them?" Shigehiro asked immediately.

"No." Kimura shook his head, looking worried. "Tsuchida and Tamaki aren't with them."

"…What?"

* * *

"No…" Koganei paled after everyone heard what Takao and Wakamatsu have to tell them. "This can't be…!" He swallowed nervously. "Tsuchi is…"

Riko closed her eyes briefly. They will have time to grieve for their lost friend later. More importantly… "…Tamaki is facing Aomine," she said, relieved that her voice came out steady. "That man is insane. We should send backup."

Shigehiro and Haizaki exchanged looks with each other. More than anyone, they knew how dangerous Aomine could be. Back when Tamaki was making her escape from the Royal City, it had been Aomine who had been sent after her. She had barely escaped with her life intact.

"Imayoshi, you used to work directly under Tamaki." Shigehiro turned towards the silent Imayoshi who seemed to be in deep thought. "What do you think?"

As one, everyone turned their eyes towards the dark haired young man. He said nothing for several moments, merely staring at the surface of the table that he is sitting at before looking up and meeting their eyes. "…If she doesn't get back within the next two hours, we have to assume the worst case scenario," he said. Seeing Seirin about to protest, he raised his voice. "We won't be able to help her in a battle against Aomine Daiki! He is the best of the Royal Guard for a reason! Tamaki is probably the only person in the world who might be able to defeat him. And there is a big 'if' here!"

"That man almost killed Kiyoshi!" Hyuuga barked. "And you're letting her face that mad man alone? If she dies or something—"

"You guys sure love to think that I'm dead," said a weak sounding voice, and everyone jumped, turning around to see a pale looking Kuroko Tamaki stumbling into the base, holding onto her left arm that has blood flowing like rivets down it. There was even blood visible on her temple, and there are various tears and cuts on her clothes. "I'm still alive as you can see." She leaned against the wall tiredly. "Don't kill me off that easily."

"…Tamaki…!"

"Are you okay?" Shigehiro asked, walking forward to support her so that she can walk to the table.

"Did you kill him?" Haizaki asked.

"No. Not even I'm able to take on the Royal Guard's strongest soldier one on one and hope to win." Tamaki shook her head, wincing even as Sakurai took hold of her left arm gently, and started to tend to her injuries. Knowing Tamaki like how he does, he knows that he'll never get Tamaki to spend even one night in the infirmary if she is still able to walk on her own power. "I managed to distract him long enough to throw a smoke bomb before making my escape."

"He let you?" Hyuuga spluttered. "He almost killed us that night if it hadn't been for Kiyoshi."

"His first priority there is to retrieve Kise-kun, _not_ kill enemy troops." Tamaki sighed. "Besides, even if he had made it his priority to chase after me, he won't catch me. I'm not called the Ghost for nothing. And ever since our days at the Academy, he has never once beaten me at a game of tag."

"And Tsuchida?" Riko asked, and Tamaki shook her head. "I see."

"I'm sorry." Tamaki said sincerely. "But at that point in time, it is more important to get them out of there." She glanced at Takao, Wakamatsu and Izuki. "But regardless, I think we can all agree that the Royal Guard is going to take on a more aggressive stance against us from now on."

Furihata chuckled nervously. "Just how much worse is it going to be?"

No one answered him.

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki stared up at the treetops whilst leaning against the bark of the tree, watching the few fireflies flying around. A sound of a tree branch breaking caught her attention just then, and Tamaki placed her left hand over the hilt of her blade, ignoring the bandages around her arm.

Midorima Shintaro stepped up next to her, eyes on the fireflies almost as if finding them fascinating, hands stuffed in his pockets. Usually so neat and tidy, he looks almost untidy now, with his hair dishevelled.

"I heard about it from Aomine when he dragged Kise back this afternoon." Midorima was the first one to break the silence. "I know that no matter what I said, it can't erase the sins of what we did." He sighed. "I'm really a sinful person, aren't I?" He almost whispered.

"I don't like the term 'good person' or 'bad person' because it's impossible to be entirely good to everyone or entirely bad to everyone." Tamaki said bluntly. "To some, you are a good person, while to others, you are a bad person."

Midorima managed a small smile. "What do you think I am?"

"I don't know." Tamaki answered. "We've all been through this, haven't we? When you are in danger of becoming _nothing,_ you fight for _everything."_ She sighed. "The light can easily turn people into cowards. From time to time, a life in darkness can give you courage. It's just too bad that we learned that lesson a little too late." Midorima said nothing. "What have you got for me?"

"The Royal Guard is on the move." Midorima said, looking at Tamaki. "The Red King had us searching for someone. It is mainly Aomine and Kise who are the ones sent out. I don't know who he's looking for—but whatever the case, I don't envy that person should he get himself caught." He sighed. "I'm tired." He admitted. "There's a stench of death everywhere now. All of us… All of us carry it in our pack like the plague. It's always just one thing or the other: we either destroy the enemy or we destroy ourselves. This is just a game to them. And for what purpose? How to die like a soldier, how to die by the rules – when the only important thing here is how to live like a human being."

Tamaki was silent for a long time. "There's a difference between losing something you knew you had and losing something you discovered you had," she said at last. "One is a disappointment. The other is truly a loss." She turned to look at Midorima properly for the first time in two years. "Midorima-kun, isn't it enough? You've done enough. Leave the Royal Guard before it's too late. Join us."

Midorima shook his head. "No. I can't," he said, turning to look at Tamaki in the eye. "I'm not like you or Takao. I'm not brave enough to go against…him. Besides, unlike you, I did commit all those sins against our people. I have too much to atone for. And furthermore, you will need information on the inside."

"Midorima-kun—"

"I'm sorry, Tamaki." Midorima murmured, looking and sounding older than he really is. "I can't be the man that you hope for. I can't be the person that I'd once been when we were in the Academy." He looked at Tamaki with a pained look in his green eyes. "Forgive me."

_Pink petals from the tree overhead rained down on their heads as the wind blew through the tree, with the pink petals from the cherry blossoms acting like pink snow. And beneath that large tree stood two figures._

_The green head smiled a small smile at the teal haired girl who is at least two heads shorter than he is, both of them still dressed in their graduation cadet uniforms—marking their new statuses as apprentices._

"_Be my girlfriend."_

"Shin…" Tamaki murmured.

"I'm sorry." Midorima said again. "I don't care even if I die. I've told you that before when I've asked you to protect my men, and to take them away from the Royal City. All I ask is that you keep Takao and yourself safe. Protect my squad. Save our kingdom. That is all that I ask for. Can you promise me that?" He searched Tamaki's eyes for an answer.

Tamaki sighed. "…I'll swear it on my blade," she said at last.

Midorima managed a small smile. "Thank you," he said. Tamaki was then taken aback the next moment when the green head enveloped her in a tight hug, burying his face into her hair, his hold around her body tight, and almost painful—almost as if he didn't want to let her go. "I'm sorry, Tamaki." His voice sounded muffled, and he sounded as if he is about to cry. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry… If only I'd made a different decision back then…" He trailed off slowly. "But it's too late now." He released his hold on her, smiling a small sad smile at her. Midorima then turned to walk back the way that he had come. "Goodbye."

Tamaki feel like reaching out to Midorima once more to stop him. But for some reason, she feels as if she couldn't reach him. And now, even as she watched Midorima walk away, a sinking feeling appeared in her stomach.

Why does his 'goodbye' sound so much like a farewell?

She had a really ominous feeling that this might just be the last time that she'll see him alive.

Tamaki sighed, her right hand covering the bandages around her left arm that reaches from her wrist all the way to her arm. "Dad… Mom… Is this the kind of world that you've died for?" she whispered, staring up into the night sky. "We… Just why do we even live?" She asked the night sky.

There is no answer.

* * *

_A/N: More questions, I'm assuming. Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	6. Existence

**Pairings:** Past Midorima/Tamaki

**Warnings:** AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Evil Generation of Miracles. Graphic violence. Character deaths.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Six: Existence**

"_Everyone is just waiting for death, if you just think about it. Some just have longer to wait than others." - Kuroko Tamaki_

**XXXXXX**

Takao looked extremely solemn as he listened to what Tamaki had to tell him during their graveyard shift for guard duty that night—two days after the teal haired girl had met with the green head.

It had been a meeting known to very few. In fact, apart from Tamaki, only Takao, Shigehiro and Haizaki were aware of Tamaki's meeting with Midorima.

"He really said that?" Takao asked, turning to look at Tamaki in the eye.

Tamaki nodded, seated on one of the crates by the entrance of the manhole that leads down to the sewers. She looked exhausted, and Takao seriously can't blame her, with everything that had happened for the past few months.

"You know Midorima-kun." Tamaki said tiredly. "He's stubborn to the point of obstinate. I've given him that same choice two years ago to leave the Royal Guard. At that time, he gave me the same answer too. Furthermore, as cruel as it sounds, you know that what he'd said is true too." She looked at Takao. "The Royal Guard has a bad name and reputation amongst the common citizens now. Our name has been dragged through the mud, with what the other commanders have done and committed all in the name of the Red King for the past four or so years. Hell, I've done some pretty bad things myself too when I was still with the Royal Guard during the reign of the Red King." Tamaki admitted, intertwining her fingers together with each other. "If we win this war, the common citizens _will_ kill them. That will be the fate that awaits them should we win."

Takao closed his eyes briefly. "I know that," he said quietly. "But Shin-chan… He isn't really a bad person. He wouldn't have begged you to save us if he is. He's…" Takao struggled with his words. "There's nothing wrong with valuing your own life. All of us learned that lesson when we were still with the Royal Guard. So why does he seem to want to die that badly?" He asked in desperation.

Tamaki said nothing for several moments, leaning her head back against the wall behind her, staring up at the ceiling of the sewers for several moments without saying anything. "It's funny if you think about it," she said at last. "None of us have ever really feared death. After all, everyone has to die one day. Everyone is just waiting for death, if you just think about it. Some just have longer to wait than others." She looked at Takao. "I can understand to a certain extent what is currently going through Shin's head. It's probably guilt. And he isn't like you or me. He had never once acted and done the things that _he_ wants to do. All along… Even throughout our time in the Academy, he had always been a stickler for rules. I've never really understood that part either." Tamaki admitted. "Probably…" She closed her eyes briefly. "No…" She shook her head. "Never mind."

"What?" Takao was confused.

"Really…" Tamaki murmured, tilting her head backwards to look at the ceiling. "Why do humans even live?" She wondered. "Why do we even fight?" She sighed. "Life really doesn't hurt until you think about just how much things have changed, who you've lost along the way, and just how much of it was your fault." She smiled sadly. "And yet… Why am I the only one amongst us five who can fulfil our promise from back then?" She nearly whispered.

Takao was silent for a long time. "I don't really understand it either," he said at last. "But I do know that I owe Shin-chan and you my life. I understand how fragile life and death could be—better than anyone else. But it's also because human lives are so fragile and tiny and insignificant that we work so hard to live them to the fullest with the time that we've got." Takao sighed, looking at Tamaki. "I don't understand why the other commanders are acting the way they did, but I do know that it's wrong. Everyone in Teiko fears them now—particularly the common citizens. They used to be so loved and respected." He whispered. "What has happened? What changed them?"

Tamaki eyed Takao next to her. "After awhile, if the fear remains, it turns to hatred," she said at last. "Hatred turns into the need to kill what they fear, no matter how young or old that person is. Humans are so easily corrupted with emotions; it makes me rather sad to see that."

**XXXXXX**

"I really don't understand." Kagami admitted the next morning when he was on guard duty together with Miyaji. "What would change them? What could change Tatsuya so much?" He glanced at his clenched fist. "I used to hear stories about them—the Generation of Miracles. How righteous and strong that they are. How they have always been the guardians of Teiko. Yet…" He trailed off slowly. "What could have changed them this much? I mean, Tamaki used to be one of them, yet you don't see her becoming a monster like the rest of them."

"Well… Tamaki had always been different from them." Miyaji said, glancing at Kagami. "And honestly, none of us understood what had made them change too." He admitted. "We've long stopped asking ourselves that. They're the enemy now. That's all that matters to us."

Kagami didn't know what to say to that.

There was a low rapping on the manhole cover above their heads just then—a sound that echoed throughout the sewer passageway. As one, Miyaji and Kagami turned their heads upwards only to see the cover sliding open slowly, revealing the cloudy skies outside that soon threatened rain.

Miyaji released the safety catch on his handgun immediately, pointing it upwards at the manhole cover. "Who's there?" he called out sharply.

A head with bubblegum pink hair entered their visage just then, leaning over the entrance of the manhole cover. The face looked worried and exhausted, with a hood of a coat of some sort covering her head. Miyaji relaxed almost immediately when he saw the face, but Kagami was suspicious, as he had never seen the woman before.

"Momoi!" Miyaji called out to the pink haired girl. "So you're all right!"

Momoi Satsuki nodded before crawling into the manhole cover, sliding the cover closed as she did so, before she leapt down the remaining distance without even using the ladder, landing nimbly on both her feet.

"Is Tamaki-chan around?" she asked Miyaji breathlessly. "There's something I have to tell her."

* * *

Seirin were particularly curious as they eyed the pink haired girl with Kuroko Tamaki—both girls were talking in low tones next to the infirmary, looking particularly concerned and worried about something.

Tsuchida's death had been a big blow to all of them. Sure, all of Seirin were aware that in war, people die, but somehow, it had never really seemed all that _real_ to them until one of their own had ended up dying. They have mourned for their comrade's passing for a day before picking up the pieces. Even still, the others at the Phantom base knew that something had changed with the usually lively Seirin.

"Who's she? I've never seen her before." Riko frowned even as she placed a spoonful of rice into her mouth, staring at the pink haired girl and Tamaki. It is currently lunchtime, and the lot of them are currently having their lunch.

"Oh, Momoi?" Shigehiro questioned, having seated himself in between Haizaki and Takao. "Well, it's not really that much of a surprise that you hadn't seen her before. She's away most of the time." He paused. "She's just like us – a fellow deserter of the Royal Guard."

"So… She's a former Royal Guard member too?" Hyuuga asked, impressed.

"Uh huh." Takao nodded. "She used to serve under Tamaki in the Intelligence Unit alongside Imayoshi and the others. Unlike them however, Momoi isn't used for combat purposes." He glanced at Seirin. "She's what you would call a spy—back then and now."

"Not many actually knew of her existence and even what her work entails." Wakamatsu grunted. "Even we've worked under Tamaki for a few years before we've even learned about Momoi's existence. Tamaki takes secrecy and security to a whole other level." He shrugged. "We're the Intelligence Unit after all. Only the head of Intelligence will actually know the jobs that Momoi undertakes."

"So… What's she doing here then?" Koganei asked with interest.

"My guess is that she must have come across important information and wanted to pass it to Tamaki." Haizaki grunted. "She's done the same thing for Tamaki even back when we're in the Royal Guard. Just a word of warning though: don't underestimate her. Just like Tamaki, she didn't get to be in the Royal Guard just by her looks alone." He warned. "Underestimating Momoi Satsuki is a mistake that most people won't live to make twice."

"They seemed rather close." Izuki noted, spotting the small smiles on the faces of the two girls.

"They were best friends even during their time in the Academy." Shigehiro said after a pause. "Tamaki and Momoi met through Aomine. Momoi had been his childhood friend." He said, much to Seirin's surprise. "Later on, both Tamaki and Momoi took the same advanced strategy and tactic classes—it is a class that one could only take with recommendations by the teachers. Most of us don't even know that this class existed. They become fast friends after that. Later on, when things got bad with the Royal Guard, Momoi had enough and wanted to leave. As most don't even know of her existence, it isn't that difficult for Tamaki to give Momoi a two month head start before she is obliged by military law to report her disappearance."

"She's not the only one, unfortunately." Otsubo said with a sigh. "Many actually tried to leave when things started going downhill when the current king came to power. But well…" He shrugged uncomfortably. "Once you're with the Royal Guard, you aren't just allowed to resign. A stint with them is a lifetime thing. Once you're in the Royal Guard, you aren't allowed to leave once you'd served with them—especially after the current king came to power. The only way to leave is unless they dismiss you, usually through death." That particular sentence sent chills down the spines of Seirin. "It is a service for lifetime or death for them. And under the new regime that was passed not long after the Red King came to power, the option to resign isn't part of protocol anymore." Otsubo stabbed his fork viciously into his mashed potatoes—almost like he is wishing that he is stabbing the face of the Red King himself.

No one said anything after that, and the rest of lunchtime was then passed in silence.

* * *

"I see…" Tamaki murmured, sitting atop one of the stacked crates near the infirmary as she listened to what her best friend had to tell her. "So he's who Shin had been talking about two nights ago…" She closed her eyes briefly. "Damn them… Does human desires and greed knows no bounds?" She murmured.

Momoi looked troubled as well. "One of my spies sacrificed his life to deliver that info to me," she told Tamaki. "I'm sorry, Tamaki-chan. I know that your left arm is still injured—" Momoi glanced at the bandages around Tamaki's left arm at that, "but we need you on this. You're the only one that can save him." She said earnestly.

"Don't worry about me." Tamaki said simply, looking at Momoi in the eye. "Even if I can't use my left arm, I can still use my right. Even if my leg is injured, I can still move. As long as I'm still breathing, I won't stop fighting until I can find him—until I can claim our kingdom back! I swore to protect the kingdom and the prince the day that I'd became a soldier—I know what I'm getting myself into right from the start. I've been prepared to die right from the beginning, Satsuki." Tamaki looked at Momoi. "I've always known that I will go down in battle someday. That is the fate of a soldier—particularly for those that serves the royal family. All of us knew that."

Momoi has no idea what to say to that. It is true after all. Even she knew that. All those that have served in the Royal Guard knew that as a fact. Most of the soldiers who served in the Royal Guard don't tend to live particularly long lives. Those that does often become outstanding soldiers—inside and outside the field.

"Can I leave this to you?" Momoi asked at last.

Tamaki nodded. "Yeah. You can count on me. I'll think of something."

"I know I can leave it to you." Momoi said with a small smile. "I have faith in you. You've always been better than me at strategy and tactics. I'm way better at intelligence and information gathering. We've always worked well together. That's why I served as a spy in your unit back when we're in the Royal Guard."

Tamaki was silent for a long time before she tilted her head backwards to look at the ceiling. "It is a very strange experience," she said at last, "to know war, and to experience a battle that didn't change anything, if at all. All of us have seen several wars and battles. And to know that no matter how many how died—how many hundreds, if not thousands have lost their lives… And yet, it didn't change anything at all. And just maybe, someday in the future, another war will happen again. All that is left are just memories of death, pain and sacrifice. And in the end, all that is left will just be pictures and words. But sometimes, those don't tell you anything at all." She looked at Momoi with some sadness visible in her eyes. _"That_ is war."

Momoi smiled a small sad smile. It is after all true. "Tamaki-chan…"

Tamaki sighed. "…Hey Satsuki, Aomine-kun and the others… Why did they end up this way?" she mused, using her right hand to touch the thick white bandages covering her left arm—courtesy of her battle with Aomine just a few days ago. "What had happened to them—the them in the past? Back then, when all of us have finished our apprenticeships, we swore to serve the royal family and the prince, and to protect them with our last breath. The people they are now… I don't know who they are."

"I know." Momoi sighed. "They scare me now." She admitted. "Dai-chan especially. He never used to be like that. But you of course already knew that." They were both silent for several moments before Momoi glanced at the bandages around Tamaki's left arm. "…He did that, didn't he?" she stated more than questioned. "Dai-chan. He's the only one who can even so much as land a blow on you even when it is a simple spar or training exercise."

Tamaki said nothing, but Momoi knew her best friend well.

"He's changed." Momoi said almost sadly. "You are the only one who had never changed. Even back when the Red King had first started issuing all those decrees and orders, and you started to gain that terrifying reputation to your name… You alone had never changed. You had never betrayed your honour and integrity as a soldier and your duty to the kingdom. You had never committed sins against the people…against the kingdom."

"I still couldn't save them." Tamaki said with a sigh. "What kind of soldier am I if I can't even protect the people whom I'm supposed to protect?" She glared down at the ground below her. "I can't even protect my own cousin!"

"You are _not_ a failure, and you know that!" Momoi said firmly. "You are our hope. Everyone believes that. Everyone in this kingdom loves you. They are waiting for the day for you to come out into the open to retake the kingdom. You are so loved and respected, Tamaki-chan. You just never realised that."

"Satsuki…"

"You are my best friend." Momoi said earnestly. "You see things that I don't. You have better eyes than I do. You had never led us wrong before, and you never will. That's why everyone follows you. Please, Tamaki-chan. Don't give up. If you fall, we'll be there to catch you. Everyone here will give their lives if necessary. You…are Teiko's hope."

"I'm not." Tamaki muttered, staring at her hands. "Sei is."

"The Prince is Teiko's Heart. You are Teiko's Hope." Momoi smiled. "Tamaki-chan… Don't ever change. Don't give up."

* * *

"She said that?" Shigehiro frowned as he looked at a solemn Momoi sitting across him.

Momoi nodded, looking concerned. "Just keep an eye on her," she said, worried. "I think the stress of the war has been getting to Tamaki-chan. It had been two years after all…and countless deaths. She's been searching for the prince for just as long, and yet, has never been able to find him."

"Yeah…" Haizaki exchanged looks with Shigehiro. "We've been worried about that ever since the incident in Meiko." He admitted. He ran his hands through his hair. "We'll keep an eye on her."

Momoi sighed. "Thank you."

**XXXXXX**

After dinner later that night, Tamaki called for a short meeting with all of those at the Phantom base. Momoi had left right after speaking to Haizaki and Shigehiro, saying that she is going to collect more information for something that Tamaki wants.

Tamaki said nothing for several moments as she glanced at the numerous faces facing her, and sighed. How the hell is she going to break the news to them, particularly to those who have known _him_ when they were still apprentices?

Tamaki cleared her throat. "All right. As you are no doubt aware, Satsuki came by earlier this afternoon," she said, and everyone nodded. "She brought some important information to me that one of her spies had sacrificed his life for." She looked from face to face, seeing the sad looks that some of them had at the mention of an unknown comrade's death. "The Red King had been sending out Kise Ryota and Aomine Daiki in search for the whereabouts of a certain someone." She paused, catching Shigehiro and Haizaki's eye. "It is Nijimura-sempai."

The former Royal Guard members have shock written all over their faces.

"Nijimura-sempai?" Haizaki was the first one to break the silence, his face ashen pale.

"The former Captain of the Royal Guard?" Kagami frowned, having heard of the name of the former captain of the Royal Guard before the Generation of Miracles have came into power. "Nijimura Shuzo? Why would they want him dead?"

"Precisely _because_ he is the former Captain that might be the whole reason why they want him dead." Tamaki sighed. _'Probably… He might just know where the real prince is being held…'_ "Satsuki told me that Aomine Daiki and Kise Ryota cornered Nijimura about a day ago. He's currently held in the palace to be executed via a public execution."

There was deadly silence for a long time before Imayoshi pinched the bridge of his nose. Even he had heard about the prowess and intelligence of the former Royal Guard commander, and how dangerous he could be. Probably, that might be the whole reason why the Red King had been after him.

"When's the execution?" Imayoshi asked at last.

"In a month." Tamaki said. "Myself, Shogo-kun and even Shige-kun trained under Nijimura when we were apprentices." She gestured towards herself, Shigehiro and Haizaki as she spoke. "We know better than anyone else how powerful he is. He left the Royal Guard the year we graduated from being apprentices due to his father's ailing health." She looked from face to face. "As far as I know, his father passed away not long after he left as well. Then when the Red King came to power, he was amongst the first to question the king's legitimacy. He was thus forced into hiding to avoid getting killed. But I guess he had run out of places to hide." Tamaki murmured.

"That's terrible…" Riko murmured.

"It isn't totally unheard of." Takao said gravely. "There were a number of people—nobles and commoners alike who have questioned the Red King's legitimacy when he first came to power, and started passing all those decrees and laws. Loads of people were found mysteriously dead after questioning the Red King and his motives. It came to such a point that no one dared to say anything against the Red King anymore."

Kiyoshi buried his face in his hands with desperation. Could his once comrades have really fallen that low that they would willingly kill someone in cold blood like this? "I really don't want to believe that they've fallen this low," he admitted at last. "I really have no wish to believe that they're capable of doing this…"

"Not capable?" Imayoshi glanced over at Kiyoshi. "Kiyoshi, most of us here have worked for them once upon a time. You know just how much this kingdom had changed ever since the late king and queen have passed away. You know _exactly_ what they're capable of, and how far they would go to."

"Surely the number of villages and towns that have been razed throughout the past four years must tell you something?" Kimura added. "And not to mention the number of people sentenced to execution? If it hadn't been for Tamaki, there would have been more casualties."

"Anyway, Satsuki asked us to save Nijimura." Tamaki interrupted. "And honestly, I want to save him too. He's a good man. He doesn't deserve to die."

There was silence for a long time.

"…I get the urgency." Izuki said at last. "But going to the Royal City and saving Nijimura from execution…" He trailed off slowly. "It's suicide!"

"We'll be up against the Royal Guard, and possibly the entire Royal Army." Wakamatsu added, examining his sword. He then looked up at Tamaki. "For someone of Nijimura-san's status, the Red King would want a public execution instead of just some quick execution down in the dungeons. Particularly now when we the rebels are getting more active. He will want a message to be passed throughout the kingdom—that those who opposes him will die. That is how the Red King operates. All of us know that."

"No matter how you look at it, there is no way that we'll actually succeed." Sakurai agreed. "In the worst case scenario, all of us will get ourselves killed."

"Just how dangerous are they?" Hyuuga asked at last with a frown. "The Royal Guard, the Generation of Miracles, and even the Royal Army, I mean."

"The Royal Army are the common soldiers. In peacetime, they are mainly used as protection for our borders and guards for the various towns and villages, and even as guards for the palace." Susa explained. "The Royal Guard are the personal soldiers of the royal family—the king. He's the only one who can issue the order to move them. As for the Generation of Miracles…" He shrugged helplessly. "Surely you know how dangerous they are by now? There is a reason why they're christened as the Generation of Miracles. There have been many who have tried in the past to overthrow the one on the throne now. _None_ of them succeeded because _no one_ had ever bested them in battle. They're that dangerous."

"What about you three?" Koganei asked, turning towards Tamaki, Shigehiro and Haizaki. "I mean… You're part of the Royal Guard too, aren't you? Tamaki, you used to be one of them."

Shigehiro and Haizaki exchanged looks. "We aren't at a level good enough to face one of the commanders in combat and hope to win." Shigehiro admitted. "Trust me, we've tried enough times in the past. And that had been when _they_ are using training swords, and _we_ are using real blades."

"Haizaki probably could." Wakamatsu added. "But that is only if his opponent is Kise. That guy's the weakest of the five. He served under Tamaki for his apprenticeship. She taught him how to fight. His current fighting style is derived from hers after all. And besides…" Wakamatsu closed his eyes briefly. "Generation of Miracles." He waved his hand about. "Do I need to add more?" He asked wryly.

"Aomine-kun, Murasakibara-kun and Midorima-kun started at the military Academy the year that I did." Tamaki said slowly. "Kise-kun on the other hand joined the military Academy late. In Teiko, there are three years of training in the military Academy before we have to undergo a year of apprenticeship. Whenever a new batch graduates, all the squad leaders and commanders of both the Royal Guard and the Royal Army get together to decide whom they want under them to serve their apprenticeship. Most of the time, the Royal Guard doesn't take on apprentices. We were the first in a long time to be taken on as apprentices by a member of the Royal Guard, and the Captain of the Royal Guard furthermore. Aomine-kun and the others served their apprenticeships under the second-in-command of the Royal Guard at that time. Kise-kun started his apprenticeship under me when we were newly promoted as commanders of the Royal Guard. He became one of us due to recommendations, and because of his talent. He started later than any of us, and thus, is the weakest amongst the five."

"What about you?" Riko asked. "I mean, you took on Kise and the Panther—"

"It is true that I'm one of them, and I'm better than most when it comes to combat." Tamaki interrupted. "Even still, I'm a tactician, not a fighter."

Wakamatsu snorted. Yeah right. "Tamaki, you're the head of Intelligence," he said. "You _trained_ us yourself. None of us would have been as good as we would have been if you hadn't trained us. You're more than enough of a match for any of the commanders. And from my knowledge, you're in most of the advanced classes when you were still in the Academy—and _we_ know better than anyone else how difficult it is to get into the advanced classes."

"Even still, even for Tamaki, there is no way that she can take on all four of them at once." Shigehiro added. "We'll be courting death if we go as we are now—without a plan."

"We only have a month, from what I know from Satsuki." Tamaki said slowly. "Nijimura trained us himself. He's a formidable man. It'll turn the tides in our favour if we can rescue him successfully and get him to our side." She admitted. "Hell, we might even end the war early."

Silence fell for a long time before Haizaki broke it.

"…There _are_ some people that we know who might be more than enough of a match for the Generation of Miracles." Haizaki said at last, and everyone turned towards him. "And coupled together with Tamaki, and then us… We just might succeed in rescuing Nijimura-san." He admitted.

"Who?" Kagami asked, confused as to who else could match up to the prowess of the Generation of Miracles.

Tamaki closed her eyes, knowing whom Haizaki had been referring to. She exchanged looks with Kiyoshi who looked particularly solemn—he knew whom Haizaki had been talking about as well. "The former members of the Spec Ops." Tamaki said at last. "The ones who does all the dirty jobs behind the scenes in the name of justice. They left not long before I did—disappearing before anyone even knew what is going on." She looked at Seirin seriously. "You might also know them as the Uncrowned Kings—the group that Kiyoshi had been part of before all five of them have left." Hyuuga's eyes widened a slight fraction. "They're Kiyoshi's former colleagues from the Spec Ops—the ones that does all the dirty jobs from the shadows. They're the true heroes that can't be acknowledged by the public. If we can find them, we might just stand a chance against the Royal Guard and the Generation of Miracles."

"But they've been missing for a little over two years." Kiyoshi frowned. "Not even I knew where they are, or if they are even alive. All four of them are good at hiding—they know how to remain hidden. It won't be easy to find them."

"You can leave that to me." Tamaki said mysteriously. "I have my own ways to contact them. And they're definitely still alive, Kiyoshi."

Without a word, she then got up and headed straight to her house—one that she shared with Momoi whenever she is back for the night. Shigehiro and Haizaki exchanged startled looks before following Tamaki, leaving the rest in a state of minor confusion.

"What are you going to do?" Haizaki asked the moment that he'd draped the dark cloth over the entrance of Tamaki's house.

The teal haired girl was stripping out of her clothes and letting it fall onto the ground, leaving her in nothing but her undergarments. Haizaki and Shigehiro averted their eyes politely until they heard the light clink of metal and determined that it is safe to look only to see that Tamaki had pulled on a black T-shirt with black cargo pants, also pulling on a dark hooded coat.

"I'll come up with something." Tamaki said grimly, looking over her shoulder at her friends even as she buckled her belt. "I always do."

She then went towards a corner where a duffel bag was lying on the ground, and reached into it, pulling out a small black leather pouch. It clinked as Tamaki placed it into one of the pouches by her side, and Shigehiro's eyes widened in realisation, as the pouch must have been full of money.

Tamaki then straightened up again as she looked at her two friends in the eye, grim expressions visible on all their faces. "Even if I can somehow manage to locate Hayama and the others, it isn't going to be easy rescuing Nijimura," she told them. "It is without a doubt, a trap. The Red King must have anticipated that we're going to try to rescue him if we know that Nijimura is in their hands. Why else would he go after Nijimura now just after we've shown ourselves after two years?"

Haizaki nodded slowly. "We'll take care of things here," he promised. "But what are you going to do? Where are you going?"

Tamaki straightened the collar of her coat. "I'm going to see the Undertaker," she said simply before pushing past them and out of the Phantom base.

**XXXXXX**

Like the name sounds, the Undertaker is responsible for the disposal of corpses, and is a goldmine of information as long as one had the right price, and the right connections. Even still, as he resides in the Royal City itself, it had always been a risky business going to see him, even via one of the several passageways that the rebels always take within the sewers.

Tamaki had known the Undertaker for a long time—ever since her tenure with the Royal Guard, and the Undertaker himself had been fiercely loyal to the teal haired girl for some reason that no one could comprehend.

Shigehiro and Haizaki could only speculate that Tamaki must have saved him or something in the past. Even still, they could never bring themselves to trust the mysterious man fully, as he is a man of countless masks, secrets and lies. But as Tamaki trusted him, they have decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Also, the Undertaker had always delivered whenever Phantom required his services, which isn't often, as the Red King himself had always used the Undertaker's services for the disposal of bodies for the numerous executions carried out.

Utilising the services of the Undertaker is often a double-edged sword in itself.

The sun had long set by the time that Tamaki had climbed out of the manhole cover in an alley within the Royal City, and it is also pouring with rain. The teal haired girl glanced around her surroundings, and can't help but feel sad at seeing the oppressive atmosphere, along with the various homeless people that she could see. Some of the homeless are so skinny that Tamaki could almost count how many ribs that they have.

'_Just what has Teiko become in recent years?'_ Tamaki wondered to herself even as she pulled up the hood of her coat to conceal her hair and face, walking down the street that she always took to the Undertaker's place. _'How many people have died at his hands?'_ She closed her eyes briefly. _'Sei… Where are you?'_

Finally, her feet brought her outside a modest looking place with a black steel door. The windows are boarded up, and the worn looking signboard above the door read 'Undertaker' with a picture of a skull with crossbones on it.

Without even bothering to knock, Tamaki pushed the black steel door open. The hinges of the door are obviously well oiled, as it didn't let out a sound as she entered the Undertaker's place of residence.

"I thought that you would be dropping by sooner or later." The Undertaker grinned at her from beside a coffin that he is obviously in the midst of making, dressed in his usual getup of a black top hat and a black coat with black gloves. "Especially since the king had commissioned me to make about fifteen coffins within a month." He grinned at Tamaki, showing several missing teeth. "Apparently, he is anticipating many to turn up dead in a month—not just the one that had been sentenced to be executed."

"Has it been announced?" Tamaki asked blandly.

"Yes. Just this afternoon." The Undertaker nodded his head. "Notices have been sent out to every village and town too. Clearly, the king wanted word to be sent out about the execution."

Tamaki clicked her tongue in annoyance. As expected, it really is a trap.

"So what do you need?" The Undertaker asked Tamaki. "You usually are in need of my assistance whenever you come here."

Tamaki looked at the Undertaker in the eye. "This time, the help that I need might very well ruin your life here in the Royal City, and might force you to live as a fugitive for some time," she told him. Without wasting a beat, she then continued. "In a month, on the day of the execution itself, I need you to help smuggle some of my people to the execution site…in your coffins. Some of them are too well known to be able to just waltz into the Royal City just like that."

The Undertaker didn't seem too bothered. "It'll cost you," he said with a creepy smirk. He was slightly taken aback the next moment as Tamaki tossed a full pouch of coins at him that he caught with ease.

"That should cover it." Tamaki said coolly. "Eight of my people. Hidden in your coffins." She said again. "The rest of my people… We will take the scenic route. I'm going to get Nijimura out safe and in one piece if it is the last thing that I do."

The Undertaker raised an eyebrow at her suspiciously even as he counted the coins in the pouch, noticing to his surprise that there must be enough cash in here for him to stay hidden for at least five years. Clearly, Tamaki must have known of the risks that he will be taking should he help them on this rescue mission, and had prepared everything for him to hide from the Red King and the Royal Guard.

"There will be a house along the coastline near the southern border of Teiko—eight miles south of Meiko Village." Tamaki told the Undertaker coolly. "A hustle of ivies marks it. You can hide there. Also…" The Undertaker blinked again as Tamaki tossed a black choker with a silver dagger pendant towards him. "If Shin comes by here, give that to him. He'll know what to do. Also, tell him this. Tell him to give a message to the Captain: 'Please hang tight and wait'." Tamaki then turned to exit his residence. "I'm counting on you, Undertaker."

Then she is gone.

There was silence for several moments as the Undertaker stared at his door that Kuroko Tamaki had just walked out of. Nothing betrayed her presence in his house save for the wet boot prints on his floor, and the leather pouch of money that is currently in his hand. Finally, a smile crept on his face as he eyed the choker with the silver dagger.

"You're playing an extremely dangerous game here, Kuroko Tamaki." The Undertaker clicked his tongue. "You can't afford to play any games here…" He glanced at the materials in a corner that he uses to make his coffins, and sighed, "and honestly, neither can I…"

**XXXXXX**

Nijimura Shuzo coughed harshly as he sat leaning against the thick stone wall, his wrists bound by thick chains, just leaving enough length for him to lay down, but it was pointless. He winced as he pulled on one of his cracked ribs, praying that it isn't broken. Hell, he could barely feel his legs or even his arms. Those bastards must have dislocated or even broken every single bone in his body.

Nijimura glared at the two guards outside his cell in the dungeons that he could see.

Damn… How pathetic is this? He who had once been a Captain of the Royal Guard now sitting in one of the cells within the dungeons as a prisoner. How they have even found him, he didn't know. Even still, he had known that it is only a matter of time, as he had been running out of places to hide.

There was the sound of footsteps just then, and Nijimura pricked up his ears, seeing a shadow fall onto the ground on the outside of his cell, and then, a certain green head wearing the black and white uniform of the Royal Guard entered his visage.

"I would like a word with the prisoner." Midorima Shintaro spoke stiffly to the two guards. "Leave us."

"Yes sir." The two guards saluted before leaving.

Midorima waited until their footsteps have died away, and he couldn't hear anything more before unlocking the cell door with the bunch of keys that he had with him, and entering the cell.

"It's been awhile, Captain Nijimura." Midorima said softly, inclining his head to Nijimura politely.

Nijimura coughed. "I'm not your Captain anymore, Midorima," he said. "What are you doing here? Going to go another round with me—like the way that Kise, Aomine and Murasakibara did when they treated me like some human piñata?" He sneered, and Midorima flinched. "No matter what you do, my answer is still the same—I _don't know_ where Kuroko Tamaki is! And even if I do, I wouldn't even tell you!" He spat at the ground.

Midorima said nothing for several moments before he reached within the folds of his uniform and drew out a familiar looking black choker with a dagger pendant hanging from it. Nijimura's eyes widened when he recognised that item.

"_I want you to carry on for me." Nijimura Shuzo told Kuroko Tamaki on his last day as the Captain of the Royal Guard. "I have faith in you, Tamaki. So take this…" He removed the black choker with the dagger pendant from around his neck, placing it around his protégé's neck. "My old man gave that to me for protection when I'd first left for the military Academy years ago. The dagger is a real dagger, and is meant to be used in times of emergency." Nijimura smiled at Tamaki. "It had always protected me. Now I'm giving it to you, so that it may protect you. And then maybe, when the time comes, once more…"_

"…_Once more…"_

Nijimura's eyes were wide opened in horror and terror. Did they get Tamaki? They couldn't have! She wouldn't let herself get caught that easily!

"What did you do to her?" Nijimura almost whispered, his eyes wide with fear. "Did you kill her? Answer me, Midorima!" He demanded.

Nijimura's voice echoed throughout the cell.

Midorima approached Nijimura without any expression visible on his face, kneeling down so that he is at Nijimura's eye level. "She gave this to me through someone that I'm in contact with." Midorima told Nijimura quietly. After all, he can never know who is listening. Nijimura was somewhat bewildered even as Midorima placed the choker around Nijimura's neck silently, letting the dagger pendant rest against his collarbone. "Aomine, Kise and even Murasakibara aren't the observant type, so they wouldn't notice that you had something on that you didn't before should they come again. I also have a message from her." Midorima paused slightly. "'Please hang tight and wait'." Nijimura's eyes widened in horror. "That is all."

Midorima then straightened up.

"Tell her not to come!" Nijimura said quickly. He is no fool; he knew what the Red King and the Royal Guard are up to when they've decided to keep him alive for a month for a public execution when most of their executions for the past four years have been carried out within the dungeons of the palace. "I don't care what happens to me. If she comes…"

"I have faith in Tamaki." Midorima said simply. "If she says she will get you out, then she _will._ As her cousin, you should know what she's capable of if she should put her mind to it. After all, you trained her yourself, did you not, Captain?"

Nijimura was silent. He had been related to Kuroko Tamaki only by marriage through her father's side. Their parents have been third cousins or something, only related through marriage.

Due to the war with the Kamata West Kingdom over a decade ago however, most of their family have been killed off, thus leaving only Nijimura and Tamaki as the sole survivors, with Nijimura's father having passed away a little over four years ago. The Nijimura family had been kind of a branch family of the Kuroko clan, thus making Tamaki a member from the main family, and the heiress of the Kuroko swordsmanship style.

"Why are you doing this, Midorima?" Nijimura asked at last, raising his head to meet Midorima's eyes. He saw the sadness and guilt in the green head's eyes for a moment before it faded away. "You don't like what the Royal Guard and the Red King are doing, don't you? Why don't you just leave?"

Midorima sighed. "I don't know," he said at last. "I'm not really all that brave, unlike Tamaki and Takao. I'm just…" He struggled with his words. "Never mind…" He shook his head. "Have faith in her, Captain." Midorima said again. "Tamaki _will_ come for you. Save the kingdom. That is all that I'm asking of you."

Then he was gone.

* * *

_A/N: Can they succeed in rescuing Nijimura? Who or what is really the Undertaker? Is he ally or foe? Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	7. The Red King

**Pairings:** Past Midorima/Tamaki

**Warnings:** AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Evil Generation of Miracles. Graphic violence. Character deaths.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Seven: The Red King**

"_Everyone has two faces to themselves—two different sides of the same coin." - Kuroko Tamaki_

**XXXXXX**

Takao Kazunari was unusually silent as he listened to what Tamaki had to tell him that night as the two were on the graveyard shift for guard duty that night. Not many wanted to take the graveyard shift for guard duty, as it is really creepy to just sit in the silence and listen to the droplets of water dripping from the ceiling to the water puddles. However, taking the graveyard shift also allows them to talk without any fear of anyone from overhearing.

"I see…" Takao murmured, wrapping his arms around his legs. "So Shin-chan…"

Tamaki eyed him from where she is sitting on the crate with her back against the wall, saying nothing for several moments. "You're not wrong about him," she said at last. "The Shin that I knew is a good man, if a little eccentric." She smiled to herself, remembering their Academy days and the weird looks that fellow students often gave them, with the weird things that Midorima often carries around with him. Ever since the Red King had came into power, Tamaki hadn't seen Midorima listening to that horoscope as avidly as before. "He used to have this weird hobby of collecting the weirdest things, and even follows the daily horoscope reading like it's the Holy Bible." She smiled sadly. "That's…the Shin that I knew."

Takao sighed. "I don't know what he's thinking anymore," he admitted. "Is he good? Or bad? I don't know."

Tamaki shrugged slightly with one shoulder, not really looking all that bothered. "I don't know. But I think that everyone has two sides to them—good and evil. I won't call ourselves righteous and stuff—heavens know that we've done some pretty bad stuff ourselves throughout the past four years. Everyone has two faces to themselves—two different sides of the same coin. I think that people are like that." She looked at Takao who looked really upset. "But at the very least, I think you and the others can rest assured that Shin isn't like them. If he is as heartless as what the entire kingdom assume, he wouldn't have begged me to save you and the rest of his squad. Besides, I think I kind of understand what he's thinking." Tamaki admitted. "It's just like when the Red King had first came into power. We can't leave. I don't think you have any idea how cruel and merciless that the Red King could be."

"I think I got an idea of just how cruel he can be." Takao murmured, recalling faintly his time spent in captivity before Tamaki had broken him out. "Why did things turn out this way? Teiko used to be so peaceful. We never had to fear for our lives to this extend before. Even if we win, can we really return the kingdom to what it had once been? The damage is too great."

Tamaki said nothing for several moments. "There isn't some definite right or wrong that everyone lives by," she said at last. "You gotta make your own 'right' in this world, and live by your own rules." She tightened her arms around her knees. "I think that people's lives are like this." She admitted.

There were the sounds of soft footsteps approaching them just then, and both Tamaki and Takao turned only to see Shigehiro and Haizaki walking towards them. Tamaki and Takao nodded to them in acknowledgement.

It had been this way ever since Tamaki and Haizaki have successfully managed to escape from the Royal City and the Royal Guard with the help of Tamaki's division. Whenever either one of them had something to tell the other three without letting the entire base knows, they would usually use the graveyard shift for it, since they are usually the ones taking the shift.

"…I've been asking around." Haizaki was the first one to break the silence. "No sign yet."

Shigehiro frowned, looking concerned and worried. What with one thing and the next… "It's been four years, Tamaki," he said, turning towards the teal haired girl. "Do you think he's still alive?"

Tamaki nodded. "Yes, I definitely think he's still alive," she responded. "You wouldn't want to kill your best asset." She pointed out. Out of everyone in the Royal Guard, she knew best how criminals and civilians think. It is her job as the head of Intelligence after all when she was still with the Royal Guard. "And I know Seiki. He wouldn't want to just kill his brother like that. He will want to torment him."

At this point, Tamaki looked worried. It is _what_ the Crown Prince is currently going through that had her worried. With how twisted that the Red King is, she wouldn't put it past him to torture his own twin, just to get back at him for having what he _should_ have but couldn't, due to reasons.

"He will want Sei to see just how his beloved kingdom go downhill, and his former loyal subjects become as twisted and corrupted as Seiki himself. And yet, Sei can do _nothing_ at all. He's that twisted." Tamaki admitted. "And _that_ is what worries me."

No one knew what to say for several moments.

"Wow." Shigehiro said at last. "But it still amazes me how you can tell the difference between the two princes. I mean, not even I know that there are actually two princes—twins, until you told me."

Tamaki shrugged. "It isn't something that is widely known. You can say that it is the royal family's dark secret," she admitted. "I don't agree with how the late king and queen have decided to 'deal' with…the problem, but whatever the case, what's done is done. And honestly, if I hadn't known Sei as well as I did, not even I would have realised that the one on the throne isn't him." She admitted. "And besides, I knew Seiki when we were children. Back then, he was confined in the unused wing of the palace. The only ones who had visited at that time have been just myself and Sei."

Takao was confused. He had been the only one apart from Shigehiro and Haizaki who knew that there have been royal twins, and that the Red King isn't the prince that they knew. Tamaki didn't want to let anyone else know, as it only puts the life and the safety of the real prince at risk if it ever got out. And even so, Tamaki rarely talks about the Red King that she'd known as a child.

"The king and queen never visited him?" Takao asked, confused. "I mean… They're his parents, aren't they?"

Tamaki didn't know what to say to that. "…Yes. Which is precisely the fact why they would rather treat him like he don't exist, and confined him as a prisoner, rather than admit to the kingdom that their first born—the legal Crown Prince is insane and a born psycho, even as a child," she said bitterly, some of the bitterness and contempt for the late king and queen with how they have treated this matter coming out. "And honestly, the fact that they didn't drown him as a child when they have realised that Seiki isn't fit to be the Crown Prince is already a miracle in itself. Though I think that maybe my father had something to do with it."

"The queen wouldn't do something like that!" Haizaki said immediately, jumping to the defence of the late royal couple. "Nor would the king!"

"Are you sure?" Shigehiro asked his best friend shrewdly. "We've been in the Royal Guard as long as Tamaki. We know what goes on behind the scenes better than anyone else, as part of the Intelligence Division. The citizens and the common soldiers see the faces that the king and queen use. But behind the scenes, we know that they're as human as the rest of us. Imagine the humiliation and the dishonour that it would bring Teiko should neighbouring nations and the lords learn that the true Crown Prince—the first born to the throne is unfit to rule. First borns get everything, Shogo. It had been an ancient law since the inception of Teiko."

None of them know what to say to that. It had been a law that lay unchanged throughout the years ever since Teiko's inception during the Dark Ages. It is true that it had always been the first borns of the family that get everything—no matter the gender. It is why Tamaki had been the heiress of her family, and later the head when her parents have passed away, and why she could control her life the way she did even as a child.

If neighbouring nations ever learnt the truth about the first-born Prince, especially the Kamata West Kingdom, Teiko's reputation will be torn to shreds.

"Even the king and queen are human too, Shogo-kun." Tamaki reminded the silver haired teen. "They can make mistakes. I often visited the palace as a child. My parents worked there during their time as part of the Royal Guard before the war. Sei was lonely. So the king and queen often invited me to the palace to play with him, seeing as how the queen had been my aunt. I met Seiki at that time too." Tamaki admitted. "That was a few months before the king and queen ordered him to be confined in the unused wing of the palace—just before they made a public announcement to the public about the Crown Prince."

In Teiko, the royal family only made an official announcement about the heir to the throne when the prince reaches the age of five. This is to prevent assassination attempts, as even within Teiko, not everyone wishes for the royal family to live a long life.

"What was he like?" Takao asked at last. "The Red King, I mean."

Tamaki said nothing for several moments. "…Terrifying, even at the mere age of five," she admitted. "Even as a child, Seiki is twisted by nature—he enjoys hurting small animals and terrorising everyone around him. Even _I_ was scared of him. So were his parents. I think even Sei is too. But it is the fact that Seiki is his twin that made him keep going back. He even dragged me with him. Then when Sei and Seiki approaches their fifth birthday, and thus, with the date of the public announcement fast approaching, the king and queen have him confined in the unused wing of the palace. About a year later, they have him moved to the Forbidden Forest under the watch of a guard, and I hadn't seen him since then."

Tamaki looked up at the faces of her friends. "By birthright, Seiki _is_ the Crown Prince. But due to his twisted mind and dark nature, the king and queen have him locked away. If I look at it from their point of view, if Seiki ever becomes the king, he will only lead Teiko to ruin—like what is happening now. You can say that they did the right thing. As far as anyone in the nation is aware, there is only one prince. About two years ago, when I left the Royal City and the Royal Guard, it was around that time when I realised that Seiki had escaped captivity, and had taken the place of the real prince. I've been trying to find him since then. But when even my friends started acting not like how they've been when we were first assigned to bodyguard detail for the Crown Prince, I don't even know who I can trust anymore."

Tamaki met Haizaki's eyes at that point in time. He looked particularly solemn, and Tamaki knew that he is recalling the time when they have both made their escape from the Royal City and the palace.

Haizaki had been hiding outside the audience chamber when the Red King had screamed for the guards, and he had assisted Tamaki long enough in holding off the regular soldiers of the Royal Army before the rest of the Intelligence Unit had came to their commander's rescue. They have managed to make their way out of the palace—no one knew the secret passageways of the castle better than Tamaki herself.

But they have run into Kise and Aomine on the way. Haizaki had shot at Kise with his emergency handgun, and it is only due to the blonde being taken by surprise that had allowed Haizaki to take him down that easily. Aomine is another matter. They have barely escaped with their lives intact, and after escaping the Royal City, they have then headed to where Tamaki knew where Shigehiro had been hiding with the rest of the rebel forces.

"…Will Nijimura-san know where the real prince is being held?" Shigehiro asked at last. "I mean, he is the only one apart from ourselves who knew that there are two princes, right?"

Tamaki nodded her head. "You can say that he is our babysitter when Sei and I were small," she admitted. "He knew about Seiki. Hence, when the Red King first came into power, chances are that Shu-nii suspected that the one on the throne isn't Sei at all. Probably, it is why the Red King gave the order to hunt him down."

"If we can save Nijimura-san, he can not only help us with our forces, but if he also knew where the real prince is being held…" Takao trailed off, and Tamaki nodded. "This war will be over."

"Yes, but to rescue him successfully, we need _their _help." Shigehiro admitted. He then turned towards Tamaki. "Any word from them yet? We only got three weeks left to prepare." He said in concern.

The rescue plan that Tamaki had drafted out and had gone through with the entire base nearly three times is flawless, and Shigehiro honestly couldn't see it failing. But the success of it really depends on those four, and if they can find them.

"It should be soon." Tamaki mused. "They should be seeing it soon."

**XXXXXX**

Hayama Kotaro was keeping his head down, careful to not let the passing soldiers take notice of him, a full bag of groceries in his arms. Next to him, Nebuya was in as much the same state, only carrying many more things than Hayama does. The two males barely noticed the fact that Mibuchi had stopped walking, and was looking at something on the wall that leads to the alley.

"Mibuchi, what's wrong?" Nebuya asked in a low voice, approaching the dark haired young man who was staring at something on the wall. Kotaro and Nebuya saw the same thing that Mibuchi did at the same time.

A curious symbol was drawn on the wall that looked rather like squiggles done by a child—hence, no one was paying much attention to it. But the three males knew better than that. They've seen this symbol before. And they know what it means.

"Reo-nee…" Hayama murmured, glancing at Mibuchi who nodded grimly. If Kuroko Tamaki is calling for them for help, it probably means trouble.

"Let's get Hanamiya." Mibuchi said at last. "Tamaki needs us."

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_A/N: I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


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